


Darkness Revealed

by annalola



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, F/M, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Humor, Ravenclaw, Romance, Slytherin, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-04
Updated: 2015-03-19
Packaged: 2018-02-19 19:59:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2401061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annalola/pseuds/annalola
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One Slytherin. One Ravenclaw. One mission. </p><p>Clara and Draco have nothing in common. They have never uttered a word to each other, never looked each other’s way, nor do they have any interest in doing so. Yet what happens when this unlikely pair discovers that their lives are more intertwined than they could have ever imagined? Whether they like it or not, it seems that these two will need to work together and put their differences aside in order to work towards a common goal, and to save their own lives. </p><p>And perhaps they aren't so different after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Our names are Anna and Lola. Basically, we are just two best friends who like to write Draco Malfoy fanfics together. Anna writes Draco's point of view, while Lola writes Clara's point of view. This story means a lot to us, as we actually wrote a series about Clara and Draco, very similar to this one, a few years ago. However, we missed writing about Draco and Clara so much that we have now decided to rewrite their story! We love to have feedback and hear from our readers, so please comment and let us know what you think! We hope you enjoy our story!
> 
> XOXO, Anna & Lola

_DRACOS P.O.V.:_

Empty eyes stared down at an equally empty plate, my mind drifting between the headmaster droning on and on, and the terrifying, racing thoughts of my own mind. I couldn't look at him. Throughout the years, I had come to strongly dislike that man up at the podium. Him and all his bullshit. Though cheery and clever as he seemed, it wasn't hard to look through that mask of a jolly and wise wizard and see what truly lies beneath. An old, rundown man who's reign of wonder and blind following was crashing down upon him.

I liked to pretend my hatred made all of this easier.

But it didn't. Nothing could.

As hard as I tried to block it out, bits and pieces of Dumbledore's speech found their way back the barrier I had made. New potions master, ban on all Weasley products, the usual. But then..

" _Every day, every hour, this very minute perhaps, dark forces attempt to penetrate this castles walls. But in the end, their greatest weapon, is you."_

I was hit with a sudden chill as those words cut down to my core. Dumbledore finished his announcements, and within seconds, chatter erupted throughout the hall as shimmering golden plates filled with food. Unfortunately I hadn't had an appetite for some time. I softly shut my eyes, but only for a moment, for it was just then a firm hand grasped my shoulder.

"Draco, cheer up, man!" Blaise laughed, "You're bumming everyone out, at least get something on your plate, fuckin hell."

I ran a hand through my hair, taking a breath and urging myself to calm down. "Not hungry," I muttered after a moment.

Blaise shrugged, piling everything he could onto his plate. "Whatever, mate. Just don't wake me up with that growling stomach of yours." He bit off a huge chuck of chicken leg. "Don't think I've forgotten those tummy troubles you're so prone to," he mumbled with a wink. I could already hear Pansy giggling beside me.

I chose not to respond, for that would only be fueling the fire.

"Aw, come on, I'm only having a laugh," he added. When I failed to acknowledge him yet again, the boy beside me seemed to grow impatient. With a huff, he voiced, quite loudly, "Bloody hell, Draco, you better not be like this all year! I know even at your best you're not particularly a ray of sunshine, but.."

"Fuck.  _Off._  Blaise." I hissed through clenched teeth, still not looking at the boy.

He was silent for a moment.

"You need to get laid, Malfoy. Bad." Blaise grumbled before stuffing a roll into his face.

It was only moments later when I felt Pansy's finger slide across the side of my leg, sending a tingle up my side. My eyes darted up to meet hers, my expressionless face remaining the same except for only the slightest hint of question.

The dark haired girl gave me a sly smile followed by a subtle wink. Ever since we had started this on and off "friends with benefits" sort of thing a while back, Pansy seemed to take every chance she could find to get us naked. Which I personally had no problem with.

I hadn't expected it, but I felt a little better. If only the slightest. Was it the thought of sex in the future? Or maybe, as pathetic as it may sound, the need for some sort of affection.

I couldn't help but scoff at my own thoughts.  _You fucking pussy, Draco. The need for affection…_

Although somewhere, deep inside,  _very_  deep inside, maybe it was true.

After the feast, I couldn't bring myself to go straight back to the common room. The first day is always chaos. Absolute, screaming, drunken chaos. It had become quite apparent that the common room was not meant to contain the entire house full of hyped up, soon to be drunken teenagers seeing each other for the first time in three months. By the next morning, a heavy silence falls over the common room, except for the pitiful moans from the kids who have never experienced the joys of a hangover before. Laughing at those poor little souls had become a tradition of Blaise's and mine…

But not this year. Or at least, not tonight.

Mindlessly, I made my way out to the courtyard where I took a seat on the edge of the fountain. The chill of the young night easily passed through my jumper, sending small pinprick shivers over my skin. It felt good in a way; like a reminder that I was still in my own skin. It brought me down to earth and allowed my head to focus on something other than thoughts. I closed my eyes and focused on the gentle yet brisk wind passing over me. I lost track of just how long I kept my eyes closed. Though it seemed like a while, moments seem to be passing by slower every day. And yet everything was happening so fast. As I ran my hand over the rough, worn texture of the eagle statue beside me, my sleeve managed to slip down just enough to see a peek of black ink. My heart seemed to drop at just the mere sight of it.. Slowly, almost cautiously, I lowered my arm into my lap and made a quick glance around to make sure I was completely alone. My fingers played nervously with the hem of shirt, then, inch by inch, I tugged up the fabric until the mark was fully revealed. The one thing that kept me bound to the Dark Lord. Sentenced to do his bidding until his sick mind was satisfied. I traced the mark a few times, taking note of every bump, every line.. I could swear I even saw the thing twitch a few times…

I took a deep intake of breath;  _This is an honor Draco. He chose you. Not any other, you._ I repeated the thought over and over, drilling the idea into my head.  _It's an honor. You were chosen for this. Think of how proud father and mother will be…_

Not bothering to push back down my sleeve, I rested my elbows on my knees and ran shaking hands through my hair as I hung my head down until my chin rested upon my chest.  _I can do this._ I breathed, my voice not any louder than the wind.  _I can kill the headmaster._

Hours passed as I sat there, back pressed against one of the broken columns. My eyes wandered, but saw nothing. For in those hours that seemed to blur into a short moment, I was completely immersed in my mind, convincing myself that everything would be fine.

With a new found sense of determination which acted as a great mask for that ever growing weight upon me, I made my way back to the common room. It was guaranteed anyone below the age of fourteen would be passed out by now. And of course, as I stepped though the doorway, the floor and couches were littered with children, all sprawled out in positions that were definitely going to result in some sore necks in the morning.

The soft green glow of the common room sent a rush of comfort through me. And though it only lasted for a moment, it was greatly needed.

" _Eyyy!_  Look who finally came to join us!" Blaise seemed to come out of nowhere, giving me a firm slap on the shoulder. I gave him a nod, and continued on my way to my dormitory. "Draco, what the fuck! The Party's jus' gettin'  _started_ , mate!"

"Mhm. Why don't you celebrate with another drink." Blaise somehow found a way to be even more talkative than usual when he's drunk. The only way to shut him up? More alcohol.

"Thas' the spirit!" Blaise raised his empty glass to no one in particular as he stumbled around, almost tripping over some passed out girl's arm.

" _Fucking idiot.._ " I spoke, knowing my friend would be too out of it to comprehend my words.

Upon entering the dormitory, my eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness of the room, but I could make out a faint figure on my bed.

"Hey Draco. Took you long enough." Pansy's smooth voice sang out from across the room. Of course. But what the hell, at least he would fall asleep faster this way.

Without a word I walked over to the bed. The girl sat up, pushing back her shoulders so her chest would seem more substantial, just before I grabbed her by the shoulders and roughly brought her mouth to mine. Now I could only hope that pleasure would be enough to clear my mind, if only for a moment.

* * *

_CLARA'S P.O.V:_

The room buzzed with anticipation.

A small, scrawny girl made her way to the end of the Great Hall. She bit her lip uncertainly, placing herself beneath the Sorting Hat. Awaiting her fate, her foot tapped repeatedly against the floor and she squinted her eyes uncertainly as the hat quietly considered its decision.

I watched as the girl squirmed in discomfort.

She was nervous.

A faint smile crossed my lips as I recognized her nerves all too well. Small, runt-like and anxious, five years ago I was almost identical to the girl who was now being sorted.

"RAVENCLAW!"

As the Sorting Hat shouted its final decision, the crowd broke into loud cheers. My eyes glazed over as I stared off into the distance, and suddenly I was brought right back.

_Five years ago._

_September 1st._

_It was my first year at Hogwarts._

_"Miss Clarabelle Paisley."_

_Professor McGonacall's voice pierced through the air._

_I stared blankly ahead of me. The walk down the aisle to the Sorting Hat felt a thousand feet away._

_"That's you, ain't it? Go!" a stout and red-faced boy behind me shoved my arm irritably. I shot him an icy glare before letting my gaze settle back on the hat._

_My heart hammered in my chest as I walked towards the Sorting Hat._

_Why was I so nervous?_

_Nobody else seemed this nervous._

_I finally reached the Sorting Hat. Turning towards the crowd, I squeezed my eyes tightly shut and took a deep breath as the hat was placed upon my head._

_The hat let out a small groan of amusement. "Mm… fidgety one you are… Why so nervous, eh?" It let out a dry chuckle. "Ah, I see…. Very interesting indeed…. Yes…" it grumbled something inaudible, taking its merry time as it pondered its decision. Suddenly though, its voice broke through the air, "With a mind like this one, must be…. RAVENCLAW!"_

_My eyes snapped open and the crowd roared._

"To our new students, welcome! And to our old students, welcome back, to another year at Hogwarts."

My eyes came back into focus and I snapped back into reality as Dumbledore's words echoed throughout the Great Hall, causing a loud eruption of cheers among the crowd of students. I watched with semi-amusement as a group of boys hastily shoved each other's arms out of the way to fill their plates.

"What are they? Animals?" a dry voice spoke beside me, laced with a thick Irish accent.

The voice belonged to the girl sitting next to me. She was short, yet still held a couple inches over me, and unlike me she had curves. The tight blouse beneath her cloak accentuated her hour glass figure. Raven black hair was fastened into two perky pigtails upon her head, the tips of her hair brushing the pale skin of her shoulders. She was unamused as her frosty blue eyes stared blankly ahead at the grubbing boys before us. Her gaze did not waver as she tore off a piece of bread.

Nina Nixon.

The most mysterious, satirical, strange girl you'd ever meet. And also my best friend.

"Or simply pubescent boys." I shrugged at her, "Same thing, I suppose."

"Well. Speaking of boys," Nina raised a brow and nodded behind us, "Here comes one now."

I turned around in my seat to see an all too familiar face making its way towards us. A tall, lanky boy strode along the Ravenclaw table in an awkward fashion that was almost charming in its own, quirky way. If it weren't for the laughable height difference between the two of us, you might almost assume that this boy could be my brother. Like me, he had pale skin and red cheeks that looked as if they had been pinched. If he were up close, you would see that he had big, saucer-like green eyes that matched mine. Our chestnut-brown hair could have been identical if it weren't for the fact that mine hung down past my shoulders in spiraled curls while his fell stick-straight across his face, nearly covering his eyes.

He flipped his hair out of his face and flashed a cocky grin, revealing a straight set of pearly white teeth.

"Well if it isn't Nina Nixon and Clara Paisley. My two favorite girls," he bent down to give Nina a quick kiss on the cheek - to which she wrinkled her nose in distaste, and playfully ruffled the top of my hair, creating a large frizz ball on the top of my head.

"Gavin Norwood," I sighed as I patted down my hair. "As much as I get joy from seeing your lovely face – I can't say that I'm enjoying my new hairdo," I shot him a glare.

"There are those cute little dagger eyes I missed so much!" Gavin ignored me and flashed another grin. He squirmed his way in between Nina and I so that he could sit and proceeded to casually wrap his arms around the two of us. "Missed me?" he batted his long, luxurious eyelashes, his delightful smile never fading.

"So very much," Nina drawled, continuing to tear off another piece of bread with her teeth.

"You, sir, have disappeared an awful lot today. Why on earth didn't you come and sit with us earlier? We always sit together." I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at him, and then smirked slightly, "Has Gavin finally moved on and made new friends?" I elbowed him gently in the ribs, causing him to squirm and grin.

His eyes held a devious glint. "I went and sat with the boys. You know... mixed it up a little. Thought it might be good for me."

"You were flirting, weren't you?" Nina smirked at him.

"Mmm, she's right. And I'm guessing it didn't work out too well, which is why you came galloping right back to us," I smiled knowingly at him.

He looked sheepish. "I may have pulled some of my charm on one of them," he shrugged. "Conversation ended quite abruptly when I asked him if he'd like a private tour of my bedroom."

Nina and I broke into hysterical laughter and Gavin simply grinned at us until he eventually began to laugh along as well.

The three of us sitting there – it was just like it was every year. Nina, Gavin, me. We were like a small family, each of us strangely unique in our own ways yet somehow fitting perfectly together like puzzle pieces. I suppose you could say we were misfits of sorts – not just because of our individual quirkiness, but also because of the way we had managed to separate ourselves from other students ever since we banded together in first year. We were three lost souls who linked together the instant we met – and ever since then, we had never really let anyone else into our group.

Then again, no one ever seemed too interested in being a part of it. Though Gavin was a social butterfly and attracted all sorts of people, most people didn't come too close to us with the cold stare that Nina managed to give almost everybody. The three of us were inseparable, and untouchable.

The rest of dinner continued as it usually did every year. Gavin talked our heads off, Nina told a couple dark jokes that neither of us laughed at, and I mostly dazed off in my own world of thoughts. Gavin mentioned that I was being abnormally quiet and proceeded to pester me, asking if there was something wrong. He was right- usually I was talkative, I'd be cracking jokes, or engaging in a debate with Gavin as I usually did.

This year, however, I was more distracted than usual… and I couldn't figure out why.

I couldn't help but feel like something was distinctly wrong.

I couldn't figure out what, but something about this year felt different from the others.

It wasn't a feeling of sadness, or anything especially negative – it was simply a feeling of uncertainty. It was a strong instinctual feeling telling me that something was different, that something was going to change, or something important was going to happen…

I had no logical explanation for it, however, and therefore I decided that I was simply being irrational.

"Attention!"

The buzz of the crowd grew quiet as Dumbledore's voice echoed through the Hall.

"Now as you know, each and every one of you was searched upon your arrival here tonight and you have the right to know why. Once there was a young man, who like you, sat in this very hall, walked this castle's corridors, slept under its roofs. He seemed to all the world a student like any other. His name: Tom Riddle."

A rush of small gasps and murmurs broke out among the students. Nina's eyes widened and Gavin clutched my arm. I winced in discomfort as his fingers dug into my skin.

"Today, of course, he's known all over the world by another name, which is why, as I stand looking out upon you all tonight, I'm reminded of a sobering fact: Every day, every hour, this very minute, perhaps, dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle's walls." Dumbledore paused, a solemn look filling his eyes, "But in the end, their greatest weapon... is you. There's something to think about… now off to bed, pip pip!"

The room grew loud again as students talked among themselves and some bustled out of their seats.

"What a nice thing to hear right before bed time," said Nina.

"I really could have done without that," Gavin frowned and let go of my arm as he realized he was still clutching it.

I looked over at the end of the Great Hall and watched some of the professors conversing. My gaze fell on Professor Snape, who stared grimly ahead.

"Something is not right…" I muttered.

"What's that?" Nina asked, looking over at me curiously.

I turned towards the two of them and sighed. "Don't you feel like something isn't right? Something feels different this year. I don't know what it is but… there's something off…" I bit my lip as I realized my words did not make any sense whatsoever.

Gavin and Nina simply stared blankly at me.

I huffed in frustration, "Well am I just mental or are you two going to say something?"

Nina frowned, "I mean, yeah, obviously something can't be right when Dumbledore starts talking about… well… you know who…" she lowered her voice uncomfortably.

"Alright!" Gavin stood up abruptly, "You know what I think? I think that you're both mad, and that it's time for bed. Right? Right."

For Gavin's sake, I agreed it was time for bed and the three of us made our way to the Common Room together.

By the end of the night I was back in the dark depths of my dormitory. The lights were off, and everybody else was asleep. Nina snored quietly in the bed beside me. My mind continued to have its usual way of buzzing thoughts, and I felt my chest tighten slightly as once again I was hit with the same unnerving feeling I had earlier. The feeling that something was wrong. Dumbledore's words echoed through my mind and I tucked my sheets over my head, squeezing my eyes shut as if I could somehow block out my thoughts this way.

Soon enough, my eyelids softened, and my thoughts formed into dreams as I drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first day of classes. The year has officially begun. While Clara Paisley is more than happy to be in class once again, Draco Malfoy could care less. He has much greater things to be focusing on this year, and Charms class is most certainly not one of them.

_CLARA’S P.O.V:_

Daylight shone through the curtains and made its way through the small crevice of space between my bed sheets and my face, awakening me from my slumber. A reluctant groan escaped me as I grudgingly opened my eyes and stretched my arms above my head.

First day of class.

I was never a morning person, which was quite apparent due to the series of grunts and rolling around that had to occur before I could finally force myself out of the warmth of my bed. However, the idea of once again starting a fresh routine of classes sparked within me that extra bit of determination, and even a lift in mood as I finally came out of my groggy state and moved towards getting dressed.

Ah, yes. How I loved being on schedule.

I would once again be in my most comfortable element; attending classes every day, engrossing myself in new lessons, and escaping to my most favorite nook in the library- where I could do nothing but be immersed in thick, leathery books, reading all through the night until I’d reached my hearts content.

I let out a content sigh.

How truly wonderful.

Perhaps I sounded like the most stereotypical Ravenclaw to exist…. a girl who was _excited_ to attend classes? Who actually enjoyed studying? Whose favorite thing to do was isolate herself from the rest of humanity in the library? Well, firstly, I promise I wasn’t phobic about people, and secondly, yes, I’ll admit I loved everything related to academics…

And it’s because I knew I was good at it.

And also, because returning to classes at Hogwarts, was a thousand times better than anything I would ever be doing during the summer.

Hogwarts was home for me.

And home… home was not home.

I cringed as my departure with my parents at the end of this summer replayed in my mind. My mother, with her strange flowing dress, dried out flowers woven through her fiery red hair, her skin smelling of the crushed herbs she used in all those mysterious elixirs that were always scattered about our already-scattered house.

“Oh my little sunshine! We’ll see you soon,” she sighed, planting a big, sloppy kiss right upon my cheek.

I wrinkled my nose in distaste.

My father stood next to her, with his unruly, greying hair sticking every which way, “Don’t forget to practice those breathing exercises the muggles taught us when you get stressed, dear. Always remember- centering yourself is key,” he said.

_Oh Merlin. There he goes on another one of his meditation rambles,_ I had thought.

It wasn’t that I didn’t love my parents. I loved my parents endlessly. In fact, I was beyond blessed to have been brought to such a lovely home. I was left on the side of the road, a screaming infant wrapped in nothing but a wool blanket. That’s when Margaret and Julian Paisley, a newly wed couple, found me there, alone and clearly abandoned by whoever my real parents were. They swooped me up into their arms and directly into the warmth of their home. They took me in without a second of doubt, and raised me with unconditional love, as if I were their own child.

I would have died if they hadn’t found me. I was very, very lucky indeed.

I loved my parents as if they were my own blood, just as any other child loves their real parents. The problem was that they were rather… eccentric. My parents did not believe in living a normal lifestyle. For them, everything had to be as diverse and as abnormally peculiar as they could possibly make it. In the sixteen years I had been alive, my life had been full of spontaneous adventures to the muggle world: riding atop camels through the Sahara desert, visiting the Hindu temples in India, and being dragged to random hiking retreats where we pretended to be muggles and I forced myself to be friendly to the smelly muggles who thought walking through the wilderness barefoot was fun.

Trust me, it wasn’t fun.

Life with my parents was random, always scattered… kind of like our house, which was usually a mess due to my parents’ lack of organization skills. I couldn’t have been more opposite from them. My bedroom, the only clean and organized room in the house, was a perfect example of that. My parents were eccentric, and I was all about practicality.

And so as much as I loved my parents, I could not stand living with them.

I liked a simple life, and my life at Hogwarts gave me this.

My own, fresh schedule. My own, clean living space. My own independence.

And most importantly, what I was best at: school.

 With that thought, I secured my long, unruly hair in a ponytail atop my head and hastily grabbed the books I needed for my first class of the day.

 Charms. My favorite.

I arrived to Charms just as everyone else was seeping through the door. Scanning the room, my eyes fell upon two familiar black pigtails towards the right of the classroom. I smiled and took a seat next to Nina.

“Don’t worry, I always save your spot,” Nina smirked, “Some chummy looking Hufflepuff tried to take it, but I glared at him and he didn’t look so chummy anymore.”

I rolled my eyes at her and grinned, “I appreciate your act of kindness.”

Nina shrugged and snickered as we opened our books.

Professor Flitwick strode through the doors just as everyone became settled. “Hello, hello class!”  the tiny man’s voice rang through the room as he hoddled up to his desk. “Welcome to a brand new year of Charms! A very exciting year, indeed. This year we shall begin by learning how to properly-“

The rest of Flitwick’s sentence was cut off abruptly as the class doors banged open, two more students entering.

I looked over my shoulder and was not surprised to see that the two late students were Slytherin boys.

Not surprising at all.

They shuffled through the desks and came to sit directly behind Nina and I, books clanging against the desk as they carelessly dropped them, and chairs scraping against the floor as she shoved them back and sat down.

The boy behind me leaned back in his chair, his dark skin and even darker, glinting eyes, locking on mine as his lips curved into a small smirk.

Blaise Zabini. I never saw him around much, but when I did- he always seemed to have that mischievous glint in his eyes.

I narrowed my eyes at him and look away, only to look instead at his companion.

 A shock of white hair, and pale, pale skin. The boy looked miserable.

His pale eyes stared vacantly off into the distance, rimmed by dark circles that showed signs of no sleep. His mouth, pressed firmly into what seemed to be a permanent grimace, did not move an inch.

He was, of course, instantly recognizable.

Draco Malfoy.

The most depressing being I had ever laid my eyes upon.

I raised a brow and he caught my glance, returning it with that same vacant stare. His mouth seemed to become even more of a scowl, if that were even possible.

I didn’t bother returning the scowl and instead simply turned away. His glare was so dreadful and his face looked so miserable that I felt he’d be contagious if I looked any longer.

“Ah, Mr Malfoy! Mr. Zabini! Late for class? What a surprise!” Flitwick clapped his hands together and raised a brow at the boys, earning a few snickers and chuckles from students.

Class quickly carried on, however, and my mind zoned out every other being and sound as Flitwick began to lecture.

 

* * *

 

_DRACO’S P.O.V:_

It would be a miracle if I managed not to kill Blaise one of these days.

Just moments before there was peace, quiet, calmness…

I closed my eyes, ignoring the hollers of the boy outside the bathroom door and instead tried to focus on the hot water pouring over me.

“I know you can hear me, you fucking wanker! You often forget you have several other roommates who enjoy showers as well.”

I tilted my head back, eyes still closed as I took in a deep breath of the steamy air. Still in no mood to deal with anyone’s bullshit, I chose to ignore him.

Though the initial shock of everything that was happening lately had for the most part worn off, I couldn’t see that deep feeling of dread leaving anytime soon.

One thing that helped were showers. Really fucking long, hot showers. Bad thoughts seemed to burn away in the scalding water. Of course, it was merely an extremely temporary solution to an irreversible situation. But it was enough.

And Blaise motherfucking Zabini wasn’t going to interrupt my few moments of peace.

“Fine, you bloody diva. I’ll just be disgusting my first day of classes.”

Right. First day of classes. Not that I gave a shit.

With my moment of peace being ruined, I forced myself to step out from the shower and into the steam filled room. Even through the haze fogging the mirror, it was still easy to make out the visible dark spot that lay on my arm. I stood there for a moment, staring blankly at my foggy reflection.

Still me. But different. Darker.

And honestly, I couldn’t tell which version of myself I preferred.

After getting dressed in my robes, I met with Blaise in the common room.

“Smile, Draco, you look gorgeous. With all that time you spend in the bathroom.”

I gave him a mocking laugh. “You’re hilarious. Come on, let’s get classes over with. I have more important things to do,” my voice trailed off.

After today, classes would no longer be a priority. They were far from what I needed to be prioritizing right now. Fixing the vanishing cabinet came before everything. Without the success of the cabinet, the Dark Lord’s orders would become much, much more difficult. And I didn’t want to imagine what would become of me as a result of this.

We approached the doors to Charms and I shoved them open, not bothering to make a more subtle entrance.

We were late. There was no hiding it. And I didn’t care.

The only thing I planned on caring about was draining out the despicable sound of Flitwick’s blathering long enough for class to be over with.

And I had already begun to block out all other voices the moment I stepped foot in the classroom, only vaguely hearing the sound of Flitwick’s voice. My eyes set on the two remaining seats in the back corner of the room, and I slipped into the furthest one, slumping back into it and crossing my arms firmly against my chest.

I didn’t see Blaise take a seat next to me, only heard the creak of him sitting beside me as my eyes stared blankly off into the distance.

Flitwick’s words went right past my head, only a muffled noise in the distance. My eyes blurred on the blank canvas of the far classroom wall, and my mind suddenly became cluttered with thoughts. I went over again and again what needed to be done. The Dark Lord’s voice echoed in the back of my mind, and I felt my chest tighten, a lump forming in my throat, as if I could hear the sound of his words brushing past my ears. The hairs on my neck stood on edge and I shut my eyes briefly.

_Stop,_ I told myself. _Focus._

I tried to relax, re-centering myself.

If I was going to be successful in any of this, it was important that I didn’t give into the fear. I needed to remain focused.

After class, I would go to the vanishing cabinet and decide how to go about my first task.

I exhaled slowly and relaxed my fists, not realizing they had been clenched all this time.

_I will succeed,_ I told myself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here is the second chapter! We hope you enjoy it! If you did, please leave a review and tell us what you think! We would love to hear from you guys! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaise Zabini takes pride in the "Slytherin parties" he organizes. All Slytherins are invited, of course, but when it comes to the other houses... he doesn't invite just anyone. Only his favorites. Apparently, Clara has made that favorite list. Blaise likes to keep his parties on the "classy" side. However, we all know that when you throw a bunch of young wizards and witches into a room with alcohol and zero supervision, there is bound to be trouble, right? Right.   
> What kind of mishaps will Draco and Clara manage to get themselves into tonight?

**_DRACO’S P.O.V:_ **

 

There it stood, looming over me, making me feel small andpowerless. I reached out and laid a gentle hand on the metal overlay, running my fingers along the curved patterns, taking in the grandeur of the cabinet standing before me. At first glance, the thing just seemed old and faded, yet at the same time it was one of the most magnificent things I had ever seen. Such an ordinary object, containing so much power. It was beautiful. And it terrified me.

I reached into my pocket and took out the apple I had put there at breakfast. I tossed it lightly in the air, then opened the cabinet and placed it in the center. I stared at it for a moment. Just the other day, I had tried for hours to get the damn thing to vanish, only to walk out with yet another failure adding to the weight on my shoulders. But this time would be different. I knew it. It had to be.

 

I shut the door and quickly reached for my wand. My eyes shut as I lowered my head and focused all my energy on my next few words.

“ _Harmonia Nectere Passus_ __ _”_ I muttered.

 My grip on my wand tightened as I took a deep breath.

**_“_** _Harmonia Nectere Passus_ _!_ _”_ I spoke louder this time, forcing every ounce of energy I had into the spell.

 

And there it was. Goosebumps appeared on my skin as I heard a faint _swish_ from inside the cabinet. I opened the door and felt a smile creep onto my face for the first time in a while. It was empty. I quickly shut it again, licked my lips and recited the spell once more.

_“Harmonia Nectere Passus!”_

And there it was again.

I hurriedly reached for the door and smiled yet again at what I saw. The same apple, with a single bite taken out of it. I picked it up and examined the bite. My smile grew into a large smirk as I held the apple to my chest and closed my eyes.

_This is going to work. I can make this thing functional again. It will just take time._

 

After another hour of working on the cabinet, I was feeling confident enough to stop for the day. It was still far from being able to properly teleport a human, especially since some of the objects I had tried to send over came back with rather large pieces missing. Imagine a _person_ having the same problem... _Disgusting._

Before leaving, I threw the tattered fabric back over the cabinet, creating a cloud of dust and sending me into a coughing fit. Of course, this was nothing new. The entire place had a good half-inch of dust covering everything.  “ _I hate this bloody room,”_ I grumbled between coughs.

 

When I returned to the Common Room, I found it to be surprisingly empty. Of course, I much preferred it this way.

 

I slouched down on one of the aged leather sofas besides the fireplace, crossed my arms tight over my chest, and closed my eyes. The only sounds were of the crackling fire and the faint scratching of several quills against parchment, paired with the whispers of students working together. As I allowed my body to relax, the sounds seemed to fade away to nothing and I slowly slipped out of consciousness.

_I opened my eyes to find myself at the foot of a long and slender table. The eyes of the wizards sitting along each side seemed to all burn into me. I immediately knew where I was._

_I was home._

_Or, more specifically, I was in the meeting hall where the Death Eaters held their meetings, interrogations, and the like. It was also where I had been welcomed into the group and given my orders. The hall had a certain coldness to it tonight. Not a chilled cold, but an icy darkness that pierced through your very being. A heavy shiver ran down my spine as I made eye contact with my parents sitting at the opposite end, on either side of the Dark Lord himself, who was staring down the elongated table, straight at me._

_Why was I here? Nothing was making any sense as I stood there, waiting for someone to speak._

_“Draco,” Voldemort’s raspy voice was the one to finally break the silence. Though after hearing my name come from his mouth, I was already missing the quiet. “So nice for you to join us tonight.”_

_“My Lord,” I said with a slight bow. I had trouble keeping my voice calm. “It’s an honor.”_

_“Yes, yes.” The old man replied, almost mockingly. By now I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking. “An honor indeed. However, the terms on which we are meeting tonight are not the best, I’m afraid.” The words were dripping with fake sympathy. “It appears you are having some… how should I put it, troubles, with the task I have bestowed upon you.” The man shook his head, making a subtle ‘tsk-tsk’ as he did so._

_“But My Lord, I’ve been working on the cabinet! It’s going well! At this rate I’ll have it done in time… I’m positive.”_

_I was abruptly cut off by a loud, “No, no! Your work on the cabinet is not what’s been concerning me. It is, rather, your lack of confidence. I have watched many men kill, and, in return, have killed many men. The first, I admit, does always seem to be the hardest. But it’s always those with a lack of confidence, who hesitate… yes… those are the ones who fail. Don’t think I don’t have eyes around that castle, young Draco. From what I’ve heard, you’ve been displaying just that. Hesitation. Weakness. This is a very important task I have awarded you. I cannot risk any mistakes.”_

_I felt dizzy. The entire room seemed to spin as I processed exactly what Voldemort was telling me. I had seen this happen before with others who had let him down. Not one ever made it out of this room alive._

_“My Lord…” My words came out shaky. Exactly what Voldemort wanted to hear. “The old man has to die, and I’m honored to be the one to do it! I can do this, I swear to it!” My voice grew louder as I spoke though gritted teeth. As scared as I was, I couldn’t deny how highly insulting the entire situation was._

_Voldemort just laughed, crushing what was left of my pride. “Oh Draco, so young. It’s a pity, really it is. You did have so much potential. How proud you could have made your mother and father.”_

_I looked to them, hoping one of them would do something to stop it. But neither of my parents did anything. Both sat there, scowling at me, as if I had deeply betrayed them. So much that they no longer viewed me as their son._

_“Mum,” I choked out. She was always the one there for me… and now it was as though I meant nothing._

_“I am so sorry to do this Draco, really I am.” Sarcasm rolled off the man’s tongue as he stood, reaching into his robes for his wand. “Such wasted talent…”_

_My lip quivered as I held out my chest and squeezed my eyes shut._

_“Ava-“_

_Before I could even hear him finish the words there was a hard thump on my chest._

_“Draco!”_

_Was I dead? Or had someone saved me?_

_“Draco!” said the voice again._

_“_ Draco, you lazy wanker, get up!”

 

My eyes shot open as I took in a sharp breath.

“Bloody hell.” There stood Blaise, eyebrows raised with a rather confused expression upon his face, accompanied by Crabbe who was holding several rather large bottles of various alcohols.

Without a second thought, I grabbed one of the bottles, not bothering to look at what it was, opened the cap, and chugged down a few mouthfuls. I winced as the substance burned its way down my throat, sending a surge of warmth through my body.

“That’s the spirit, I suppose...” Blaise said after a moment in a somewhat questioning tone.

Crabbe only scowled and roughly grabbed back the bottle I had taken from his stubby little arms.

“Anyway… I’m having a party, as you can see.” He motioned to the bottles in a rather flamboyant pose. “And it would make me ever so happy if you would accompany me in handing out these invitations I made for that lucky, select few I’ve chosen from the other houses to join us. Crabbe, go get the rest and put them on the table, would you?”

 

Crabbe scurried away, after which Blaise sighed in what appeared to be relief. “I know he’s our friend, but he’s a downright idiot.” He moaned, slumping down beside me and sliding his hands over his face. “You, I can take. Even while you’re PMSing or whatever it is you’re going through right now.”

I groaned, but let the comment slide. I was still trying to get the memory of that nightmare out of my thoughts.

“Fine. I guess I’ll go with you. I need some fresh air anyway…” I grumbled as I stood up.

Blaise stood up right after me “Great! I‘d put on something warmer if I were you. It’s a bit nippy out there.”

 

* * *

 

 

“I still can’t believe you made invitations. Isn’t a verbal invite good enough?” I grabbed one of the cards from his hand and looked it over. It was so typical Blaise. Curly, perfect handwriting lay across the parchment. I couldn’t help but cough up a laugh.

Blaise, who looked slightly insulted, snatched the paper from my hand to put it back with the others.

“If I don’t give them invitations, how will we know who to let in? Hmm? Of course, once word gets out, some people will make fakes, but it’s easy enough to sort them out.” He smiled to himself. _Always so cocky_.

“I never thought it was possible for someone to love themselves as much as you do…”

Blaise snickered to himself as we walked into the courtyard, “Confidence is key, Malfoy.” He stopped and looked at something in the distance, a smirk spreading across his face. I followed his gaze over to a girl sitting ahead from us.

“Watch as I win over this lovely lady with my charming good looks and character,” he said with a wink. He pulled out one invitation from his small pile and handed the rest to me.

 

 

* * *

 

****

**_CLARA’S P.O.V:_ **

 

With October came cool, brisk air, along with new colors of vibrant orange and burgundy to dust the grounds of the courtyard in crunchy heaps of leaves. I found myself where I usually was this time of year- huddled against a pillar, with a thick book in my hands, enjoying the crisp autumn air. It was mid-day and the courtyard was fairly busy at this time. Students walked by in groups, taking time to socialize and mingle about. A group of boys not far from me were running through the piles of leaves and shouting crude jokes among themselves, and seated to my right was a rather large group of girls chatting nonstop gossip.

 

I sighed, trying to block out all the noise so that I could focus on my book.

_This probably wasn’t the best place to come read,_ I thought irritably to myself. I felt a sick sense of satisfaction as I silently imagined myself turning to whack the nearest girl with my book and telling her to shut up. The courtyard seemed more busy than usual, and it definitely wasn’t an ideal location for finding peace and quiet.

 

I let out a smull huff of annoyance, a cloud of fog passing through my lips. I drew my knees up to my chest and huddled half of my face into the warmth of my scarf as I rested my book against my legs and continued to read. Captivated by an especially intriguing part of my book, I finally managed to block out the hustle and fuss that surrounded me and lost myself in the words before me.

 

Hands tightly gripping the corners of my book and eyes fixedly glued to the pages, I didn’t even see the pair of brown boots that had come to a stop in front of me. A sudden clearing of the throat sounded above me and tore me from my moment of literary bliss. I slammed my book back against my legs and sighed, “Bloody hell- what now-” I started, looking up from my place on the ground. I stopped midsentence, however, as I saw the tall, smirking Slytherin gazing down at me.

 

Blaise Zabini stood in front of me, only inches away, his gleaming dark eyes locked fixedly on mine. “Forgive me for my interruption,” he spoke in a low but smooth, velvety tone. His lip curved up to one side, allowing for a quirky dimple to appear. His hands held a small piece of paper, and I felt myself tense slightly as he outstretched his arm and handed it to me.

 

I took the paper from him and flipped it over in my hands. Neat, black cursive read: _“You are cordially to a Slytherin event._

_Tonight._

_In the Slytherin Common Rooms._

_Consider yourself special._

_Yours truly,_

_B.Z.”_

I raised a brow and looked back up at him. “B.Z?”

 

Blaise beamed. “Thought I’d try it out. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? “

 

I wasn’t even paying attention to him. I looked back down at the invitation and found myself feeling utterly confused.

Why in the bloody hell was Blaise Zabini inviting me to a “Slytherin event”, which we all knew was synonymous for “party.”?

When had I ever even spoken to Blaise up until this point? I was pretty sure the answer was never.

And since when did I become someone who was invited to parties?

 

I wasn’t really one to attend parties, let alone _Slytherin_ parties. Everyone knew about the Slytherin parties, yet not many from the other houses were actually invited. They were picky about who they wanted at their events, and they didn’t invite just anybody.

 

“So you need a fancy letter to invite people to your parties?” I asked him.

 

Blaise flashed a brilliant grin, revealing perfectly pearly white teeth. “Of course. My parties are no casual thing, love. I take these things very seriously.”

 

I raised my brows and looked him up and down. From what I could tell, his parties weren’t the only things he took seriously. His boots seemed perfectly polished, and the material of his black coat looked awfully expensive. He was very well put together, and from his perfectly poised stance I could tell that confidence was one thing he was certainly not lacking.

 

“Do you even know my name?” I asked skeptically.

 

This seemed to take him aback. His brows furrowed together and he paused for a second, tapping a finger to his lip, “Your name… let’s see….” He studied my face and squinted at me as if he was trying to remember who I was. For a moment, his eyes lingered over my chest and I realized a button of my coat had snapped open. Feeling suddenly exposed, I quickly buttoned myself back up and shot him an irritated glare.

 

“Nope. No idea,” he finally heaved a dramatic sigh, shrugging his shoulders. “But-“ he said brightly, holding up a hand, “It doesn’t matter! Your name could be Bertha for all I care. What does matter, is that I am feeling _awfully generous_ this fine day, and have decided to extend my invitations to some strangers. I quite enjoy expanding my social circle, and it would be such a shame not to invite a ravishing girl such as yourself to my party,” his words slurred easily out of his mouth, and when he finished, he gave me a lazy, yet winning smile.

 

I stared at him in disbelief and couldn’t help but choke out a short laugh. “Do you use that line on every girl you want at your parties?” I rolled my eyes and shook my head, “Well, _Zabini,_ you can call me Clara, not Bertha. And as much as I am _honored_ to be invited, I’m afraid I must politely decline. I have other things to attend to,” I attempted a regretful smile and held the invitation towards him.

 

“Clara, you have deeply offended me,” he gasped, dramatically holding a hand to his heart. He broke into a smirk a moment later and crossed his arms, “What’s a little Ravenclaw like you got to do that’s worth refusing my party? Studying? Reading?”

 

I opened my mouth to say something, then closed it, feeling frustrated.

 

Was I really that predictable?

Damn. He made me sound incredibly lame.

 

“It’s none of your business what I plan to do with my night,” I held my chin up and crossed my arms.

 

Wonderful comeback.

 

He didn’t look convinced in the slightest. “Well,” he said, his dark eyes held my gaze and he reached down to cup my extended hand and close my fingers back over the invitation with his own. “The invitation remains open.” He straightened himself and turned to walk away, turning and giving me a wink after a few steps. He then carried on as if nothing happened, walking down through the courtyard with confident strides.

 

 I looked back at the invitation and rolled my eyes, crumpling it up and stuffing it on my pocket.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**_DRACO’S P.O.V:_ **

 

I watched as the slender man straightened out his suit and made his way towards a small Ravenclaw girl who was curled up against a pillar, clutching her book. She wasn’t too bad looking. Nothing special, but attractive nonetheless. Though the moment Blaise tore her from that book-induced trance she seemed to be in, I felt a little scared for him. Her eyes screamed murder. And it was hilarious.

A small smile tugged at my lips as I scoffed at the scene before me. There stood Blaise, trying, and ultimately failing, to charm this girl who was obviously having none of it.

 

I recognized her from somewhere. Was it charms class? Whoever she was, Blaise seemed to have set out a goal to get her attention in any way possible. Thinking about it, it was completely possible that Blaise was having this entire party just to “get to know her.” Who knew? I really couldn’t care less.

 

A couple minutes later, Blaise started his way back towards me, giving me an over-exaggerated wink.

 

“You seem to think that went a lot better than it did, Zabini.”

 

The boy snorted. “Maybe too amateur. She just didn’t want to seem _too_ excited. It wouldn’t have looked good if she lost her cool in front of me. But, I know for a fact that she’ll be running off to her dorm and screaming about it to her friends.” Blaise looked disgustingly pleased with himself.

 

“Did she at least say she’ll go?”

 

He paused for a moment, his smile dropping a bit. “Well not exactly in _words_ , no. But mark my words, Malfoy, she’ll be throwing herself at me by nights end.” The idiot clapped me on the shoulder and walked on through the courtyard. “Next stop, Hogsmeade. I have a little deal with one of the pub owners. Specifics aren’t important, but we have a pretty good thing going on. On my part anyway.”

 

On our way down, I was told to wait several times as Blaise came across those whom he was “giving the honor” of being invited to his party.  By the time we got to the pub, Zabini’s ego was out of fucking control. It was disgusting.

The pub owner did nothing to help it. “Oh, Mr. Zabini! Back again I see, what can I get for ye today, laddie?” The man’s thick Irish accent rung out throughout the small pub.

Many of the older patrons looked over, most likely wondering what the hell these students were doing in a pub.

“Best we do our business in the back, isn’t it?” Blaise gave him a smile as he patted the old man’s shoulder and led him through an aged black door. The small man gave him a toothy grin (with the teeth he had remaining, that is), and quickly nodded. “Yes, yes, I suppose yer right.” he trailed off.

 

The back of the pub was even more disgusting than the front. Dusty caskets lined the walls, all connected by cobwebs.

Then there was the smell. It was as though twenty dung bombs had gone off at once. I crinkled my nose and stood in the center of the room to avoid touching anything. However, the moment I took a step forward, there was a loud snarl coming from

beneath a table.

 

“Careful there, lad, she don’t like strangers getting’ too close to ‘er” the pub owner warned.

 

Startled, I leapt back, bumping into a case of bottles. “ _She?_ And what exactly is _she?”_ my eyes darted down to where my feet had once been, and where a small, nasty cat-like creature now stood. It’s matted, soot colored fur stood on edge.

 

The plump wizard just laughed, reaching down to scratch the ugly animals head and returned to what he had been doing. “So what’ll it be this time, Mr. Zabini?”

 

I caught Blaise glaring down at the creature with the same disgust. “Same as earlier. Rum, fire whisky, vodka, and maybe throw in some of that Dragon’s Blood this time, for the more adventurous folk. That’ll spice things up a bit...” he lingered off, snickering to himself. “Oh, and some of that good ale we were talking about. Gotta have some of that. As well as some butterbeer for the boring ones. Every party’s got them, better keep them happy as well I suppose.”

 

The owner nodded vigorously as Blaise gave his list. “Good, good, I’ll get that right up for yah.” And with that he waddled away into the next room, whistling to himself.

 

“Could you not find a more disgusting place to drag me to?” I spat out, still glaring down at the cat thing.

“Oh, quit it you whiny bastard. Don’t make me regret bringing you instead of Crabbe. And yes, you should be highly insulted by that.”

I shot him daggers as I crossed my arms tighter against my chest.

He only laughed.

 

Moments later, the old man returned with a small, satchel like bag. It looked nearly empty.. “Alrighty, boys, I got yer goods.”

“Are you daft? That bag isn’t big enough to hold more than one bottle…” I couldn’t help but comment on the deflated thing the man handed over to Blaise. The two paused to look over at me and the pub owner chuckled to himself. Which was rather insulting.

“Oh really? You wanna carry it then?” Blaise shook his head at me, lugging the bag over his shoulder. “Ever heard of an undetectable expansion charm?” his voice trailed off as he began muttering to himself about my study habits. “Thanks again Bert!” he called over his shoulder as we left the pub.

 

Once we heard the door creak shut behind us, Blaise took a quick peek into the bag. I paid more attention to the crisp smell of fresh air after having my nose abused by that pigsty.

“Good ‘ol Bertie never disappoints. Even threw in a couple extra. Good man, good man!”Blaise smiled widely down at the bag and then to me. “And now for the fun part.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

By this time, the entire Slytherin house was either in their dormitories getting ready, or getting a head start on tomorrow’s terrible hangover. A little later, I would head down, sit back with a drink, and watch the insanity unfold. Though, inanity might not be the right word for it. Slytherin parties, or more specifically, Blaise’s parties, had a tendency to hold a high level of class. There was of course the normal music and dancing, but miraculously, nothing has ever seemed to get majorly out of hand. Which, considering it’s a deadly combination of alcohol, teenagers, and bad choices, was quite the feat in and of itself.

 

“You have to dress down, while still being dressed up.” Blaise had been standing in front of the mirror for about five minutes, lecturing me, along with two other very uninterested Slytherin boys, on how to properly dress for such an occasion. “Simple black dress shirt, skinny purple tie. Classic lady killing combo.”

As bored as I was, it would have been an absolute lie to say he didn’t look damn good. How this man wasn’t gay was a mystery all on its own.

 

“You know as much as I love hearing you go on about your ravishing good looks, I think I’d much rather have a drink in my hand at the moment.” I started towards the hallway, grabbing one of my nicer suit jackets on the way out

 

“Mhm,” Blaise seemed to be too distracted with fixing his own tie. “While you’re down there, how about you tell Crabbe and Goyle to be our “bouncers”. Last time they got drunk, Goyle tried to fuck the armchair and Crabbe puked all over the cauldron cakes. Fucking pigs...”

 

I cringed at the thought, trying to decide which I was more disgusted by. “Yeah, fine.”

As I approached the common room, the sound of music and laughs filled the halls. _Now to find our new Slytherin bouncers_.

I stood at the top of the stairs and took in the scene. Not many people had arrived yet, making it easy to spot them. Then again, all I really had to do was look over to the food table.

“Goyle, Crabbe!” I called out over the noise. The two looked up, like two little kids who got caught stealing sweets. “I have a very important task for you.”

And just like that they came clambering up. Like faithful dogs, they were. Dumb as a post yet always willing to do what I said.

“You two are our bouncers. Go outside, stand on either side of the door, and stay there. When people from other houses show up, check their invitation. If it’s real, go ahead and let them in. But quick, we don’t want any wandering professors hearing anything. If it’s a fake, I don’t really care what you do, just get them to leave. Maybe cast a lip-locking hex on them to keep them from blabbering their heads off to professors. Like I said- I don’t give a shit.”

 

Crabbe seemed to puff out his chest, as though he was proud of his new position and was making a sad attempt to look the part. However, all that fat didn’t look very menacing.

Goyle just furrowed his brow and stared off into nothing. “But Draco… how will we know if it’s a fake or not?”

_Good Merlin..._ I grabbed his wand from his pocket and held it in front of his face; “You’ve been studying magic for six years. Figure it out.”

Still looking extremely confused, he grabbed his wand back and started towards the door.

My work was done.

 

 

* * *

 

****

**_CLARA’S P.O.V:_ **

 

When I entered the Ravenclaw Tower, I found Gavin and Nina sitting in two armchairs. They were in mid-conversation when I walked in- or, more like Gavin was babbling nonstop while Nina looked bored.

 

“It’s not that I don’t respect your personal preference,” Gavin was saying, “I understand that black is your favorite color. I’m only saying that I think wearing a little color now and then would be good for you. Lavender, for instance, would contrast wonderfully with your eyes-“

 

“Lavender?” I cut in as I stopped before the armchairs.

 

“Clara, thank Merlin you’re here. Save me from this dreadful person,” Nina groaned and stretched her arms towards me.

 

“Ouch,” Gavin winced, “I think you meant to say _brilliant.”_

I rolled my eyes, _“Gavin,_ did you _really_ think for one second that you would have an influence over Nina’s fashion choices? We all know she can’t be swayed.”

 

Nina grinned at this.

 

“You know, I’m usually quite good at swaying people,” Gavin smirked and gave a wink.

 

I let out a short laugh, “Unfortunately, I don’t think I can disagree with you on that one.”

 

Gavin grinned at me and caught my arm, dragging me over to him and proceeding to crush his arms around me in a tight hug. “Where have you been all day pipsqueak? You don’t spend enough time with us,” he whined and ruffled my hair with his hands.

 

“Gavin- ugh- no- _why_ do you always have to destroy my hair?” I grunted, trying to squeeze me way out.

 

At this, he simply let out a devious laugh and continued to ruffle my hair, only to then stand up and toss me over his shoulder, spinning around rapidly in circles and making my head whirl.

 

“Gavin!” I yelled in between laughing, “Stop! Put me down you idiot!”

 

I heard Nina cracking up along with Gavin. “Something dropped from your pocket!” she suddenly said.

 

Gavin stopped spinning, still laughing, and I groaned as my head continued to whirl. “You’re such an arse!” I laughed, hitting him in the back of the head. Though my vision was still blurry, I saw Nina bend down to pick up whatever it was that had apparently fallen out of my pocket.

 

“Why do you keep smashed up paper in your pockets?” she smirked at me, holding a crumpled ball of paper in her hands. She began to unravel it.

 

_It was Blaise’s party invitation,_ I realized.

 

“Oh right, _that,”_ I sighed. “Long story. Actually, quite a short story-“

 

“Slytherin event? B.Z.?” Nina read curiously. She wrinkled her brows together and looked back up at us, “Who the fuck is B.Z?”

 

_“Blaise Zabini!”_ Gavin shrilled excitedly, practically dropping me to the floor.

 

I cursed as I stumbled into a chair and had to straighten myself.

Nina frowned. “Clara why are you stealing other people’s party invitations?”

 

_“Actually, for your information-“_ I placed my hands on my hips, “The invitation is mine.”

 

Gavin shrilled again, “ _Clarabelle Paisley!_ Why the bloody hell didn’t you tell me you were invited to the party tonight? This is fantastic!” his bright eyes were wide with excitement.

 

“Wait, _you’re_ invited too?” I crossed my arms at him, and then paused.

 

Wait, why was I surprised that Gavin was invited to the party?

He was invited to every party.

He was a social butterfly. 

When was there are a party he _wasn’t_ invited to?

 

“Nevermind, that shouldn’t even be a question,” I sighed. “Well anyway, don’t get too excited. I wasn’t planning on going.”

 

“Shocker,” Nina drawled sarcastically. She crossed her arms and raised a brow at me, “How in the hell did you manage to get invited? What exactly did you do to him?” she grinned deviously.

 

“ _Do to him?”_ I scoffed, “What- I didn’t _do_ anything!”

 

“You’re telling me he just invited you because he felt like it?” Gavin’s grin had not faded, and he looked nearly ready to burst with excitement. He grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me towards him, “Clara. You don’t have a choice. You’re going to the party. Nina will come with us. It’s happening.”

 

I rolled my eyes, “Gavin, no. I’m not really in the mood, okay? You can go and I’ll-“

 

“I will physically drag you there if I have to,” he threatened lightheartedly. His lips then formed into a pout, “Please? For me? I’ll even help you decide what to wear.”

 

“Hmm… that _does_ sound awfully tempting…” I trailed off, slowly starting to smile.

 

“Let’s go,” Nina stated, sounding strangely cheery. “It will be fun!”

 

Gavin and I both looked at her and exchanged confused glances.

 

Cheerful outbursts from Nina did not occur often.

 

“What?” Nina snapped, shuffling her feet awkwardly. “A few drinks sound pretty good right now,” she shrugged.

 

“Okay- okay- _fine!”_ I threw up my hands, “I’ll go.”

 

Gavin began to cheer but I quickly covered his mouth with my hand, _“But-“_ I said, “You two won’t peer pressure me into getting drunk, and if it’s lame I leave.”

 

I drew my hand back from Gavin’s mouth and he smirked.

 

“We’ll see about that,” was all he said.

 

 

* * *

 

By the time I had finally agreed to attend the party, the sky had already darkened outside, signaling that we had little time to get ready. Nina and I headed of to our room, and Gavin to his, agreeing to meet back in the common room in half an hour.

 

“I better see you looking cute, Paisley,” Gavin had threatened me before we parted. “Pick something I would pick. If you’re capable of that.”

 

I’d never seen any problem with my wardrobe.

However, Gavin seemed to have made it his personal duty to continually comment on outfit selections.

I didn’t take offense to it, though. He did the same thing to almost everyone.

 

I sat on my bed and began pulling on a pair of jeans when suddenly Nina turned and stopped to look at me.

 

She looked down at my jeans and shook her head, her eyes rolling, “No.”

 

I froze, my pants half on, looking confused. “No…?”

 

I watched as she hastily proceeded to shuffle threw her drawers of clothes, only to toss something at me a moment later.

 

Soft fabric hit me in the face and I caught the piece of clothing with my hand.

 

“Put that on,” Nina grinned, and I wasn’t sure whether or not I liked the mischievous glint in her eyes.

 

I held out the clothing before me, scrunching my eyebrows together.

It was a short- _very short-_ tight, black pencil skirt.

The kind of thing I would never be caught dead in.

 

“Wow. Okay,” I mused. I looked down at my jeans, then back at the skirt.

 

By no means was I a prude, but I wasn’t exactly _risqué_ either…

Tonight, though… it wasn’t like I was attending a game of chess.

I was going to a party.

A Slytherin party.

 

_Bloody hell, why not?_

I tossed my jeans to the side and yanked on the skirt instead. After throwing on one of my own tops, I walked over to my mirror and gazed at my appearance.

 

I found myself slightly, yet pleasantly, surprised. The skirt, though much too short for my usual liking, hugged my hips and thighs, emphasizing what little curves I had. The top I had chosen was made of a dark, velvety green that matched my eyes quite nicely. The sleeves were long, and the neckline ended right beneath the pale skin of my collarbone. I had decided to wear my hair down, letting it fall over my shoulders rather than in the ponytail I usually wore.

 

My hand suddenly flew to my neck, feeling it’s bareness and realizing that I was missing something. Quickly, I went to the desk beside my bed and picked up a small, purple box that sat upon its wooden surface. From the box, I pulled out a simple, silver chained necklace.

 

I fastened the necklace around my neck, and held my hand over it. I felt the base of the small, silver circle that hung off the chain lying against the beat of my heart, and I instantly felt more relaxed.

 

The necklace was something that rarely ever left my neck, and when it did, I felt uneasy.

I wasn’t used to being without it.

After all, it was the one thing that had been with me the longest throughout my life.

 

The night that my parents discovered me on the side of that street, I had been left with nothing but the small purple box with the necklace inside of it, tucked into a crevice of the blanket that wrapped around my small body.

It was the only thing I had that held any part of whoever I was supposed to be before my birth parents abandoned me.

It was the only sign that I had true birth parents at all.

For whatever reason, it was the only thing that they had bothered to leave me with.

 

Just the thought of my real parents having once touched the piece of silver that lay against my skin was enough to send a shiver through my body.

 

I would never know why two people had decided to abandon their child. It was not something I would ever understand, nor forgive- if by some miracle, or misfortunate, I happened to meet them one day.

 

Yet regardless of what I thought, the necklace was important to me. Regardless of the fact that I was perfectly happy with a life that did not include the parents who had abandoned me, the necklace still symbolized a part of who I was - and it would forever be mine.

 

I looked down at the silver circle that hung from its chain, and ran a finger over the words that were carefully etched into its surface.

 

_“_ _Mihi Parta Tueri”_ the words read.

 

It was Latin. The words meant: _I will always fight for what is mine._

I knew the translation, yet I had no clue as to why they were on my necklace.

 

To be honest, part of me never really wanted to try and find out.

 

“Looking _good,”_ Nina cut through my thoughts, and I quickly snapped back into reality. I spun around to see Nina looking me up and down with a satisfied smirk laying on her face, “Told you the skirt was a good idea.”

 

Nina, herself, looked amazing. She wore a fitted, black dress, with a small black cardigan draped over her shoulders. The tight form of the dress emphasized her hourglass figure, and was striking against the color of her pale skin. Her hair, as usual, was in its two quirky pigtails, and her lips, bright with red lipstick, popped against the rest of her dark attire.

 

“Bloody hell, Nixon. You’re on fire,” I breathed, a grin spreading across my face.

 

Nina smirked and gave a small shrug, as if to say, “I know.”

 

The two of us finally made our way back into the Common Room, where we found Gavin waiting for us, his tall, lanky form lounged back against a sofa.

 

Gavin looked absolutely dapper, as always.

He was dressed in a dark blue button-up that was flattering to his slim and fit figure, matched nicely with a pair of black trousers. His dark brown shoes were perched up against a footrest, looking perfectly polished.

 

_Of course they are,_ I thought.

Only Gavin would spend so much time polishing his shoes.

 

“Why hello, _ladies,”_ he called out with a grin, his eyebrows rising as we approached him. He swiftly stood up from the couch and ran a hand through his ruffled, chestnut brown hair. “Don’t you two look enchanting?” he remarked, casually draping his arms around us and beginning to lead us out of the Common Room. “I am one lucky man,” he sighed.

 

Nina and I both rolled our eyes.

“And who knew Clara had such a cute little bum!” he added brightly.

 

“Oh, shut up you twat!” I snapped. “And… don’t sound so surprised,” I added.

 

The three of us broke into laughter and made our way down to the Slytherin Dungeon together, arm in arm.

 

 

* * *

 

We walked through the dark tunnel leading to Common Room’s entrance. Our footsteps echoed against the cold, stone floors. The walls were hung with small lanterns, creating green orbs of light that gave off a faint and somewhat eerie glow. Every now and then we would pass a window where you could see the murky, dark lake water lurking behind it.

 

“Who the hell would want to live down here?” I mused, wrinkling my nose distastefully at the cold atmosphere.

 

“Not me,” Nina grumbled, her face seeming to match my look of discomfort.

 

“I guess we know now why they put us all the way up in the bloody tower. Ravenclaws weren’t meant for dungeons,” said Gavin.

 

I laughed a little at his remark and soon enough we had approached the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room. Two Slytherin boys stood before a tall, stone wall. Both had brown hair, one with broad shoulders and dull eyes, and the other quite pudgy and short. Both looked miserable.

 

_Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle._

 

“Ello, there,” Gavin gave them a lazy grin. “We’re here to party.”

 

“Invitation?” Goyle muttered, sounding quite bored.

 

I handed them my crumpled invitation and Crabbe took it, raising a brow. He squinted his eyes as he read it, his pudgy face scrunching up. “Alright,” he grunted, “Let em in.”

 

Goyle nodded and turned to whisper the password to the entrance.

 

“Why aren’t you two in there having some fun, eh?” Gavin asked.

 

Crabbe glared and shifted his eyes uncomfortably, “Draco told us to,” he muttered incoherently.

 

Before Gavin could open his mouth again, the stone wall before us rumbled slightly and I watched as it parted down the middle, separating into two doors. The two heavy doors began to slowly slide away, revealing a whole new scene before us.

 

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Gavin breathed, a huge grin spreading across his face.

 

 

* * *

****

**_DRACO’S P.O.V:_ **

 

 

As the minutes went by, the room became much louder, much busier, and I had become much tipsier.

After pouring myself a yet another drink, I took a seat beside Theodore Nott, who I found a lot easier to handle than Blaise in his “I’m a party god” frame of mind.

 

The moment I sat down, Theo snickered and nudged my side. “Hey Draco,” the boy attempted to point at something with his lanky arm, but it swayed in several directions.  “’Ow much you wanna bet I can get that redhead chick naked by the end of the night?”

 

I recognized the girl as one of the Hufflepuff beaters. She did happen to be quite the party animal, but also not one to mess with. Being a beater, she had ridiculous upper body strength, which she was not afraid to use. So, of course, with this knowledge, I had to encourage my rather drunk friend to go at it.

My lips curled into a smirk, “Bet you fifty galleons she’ll punch you right across the face.”

Theo loved a good bet. And so did I, when there was no doubt in my mind I would win.

“You got yourself a deal, Malfoy. Fifty galleons. Plus another fifty if I get ‘er to bed.” He held out his bony hand, which I shook, but not before snorting out a laugh. I just made an easy 100 galleons.

 

Theo stood, taking a moment to regain his balance. “Oi, freckleface!” he called out, though his words slurred together so much that it instead sounded like ‘oifebleface’

 

I watched my friend stumbled over to the girl, who was giggling over a drink with Astoria Greengrass.

“Hey babe.” He started fiddling with her hair and I could already see the disgust forming on her face as she looked him up and down.

“I’ve been watching you all night, love. How about we go up to my room and _Slytherin_ to bed together.” He chuckled obnoxiously at his own joke, which was accompanied by loud groans from people around him. Astoria’s face went blank as she blinked a few times at him in disbelief. Even I couldn’t believe those words just left his mouth.

 

As for the Hufflepuff girl, her eyes grew wide. Theo stood there, stumbling around as he continued to chuckle to himself. Then, seemingly in slow motion, the girl tilted her head, drew back her fist, and decked him right in the face.

 

Theo screamed out and collapsed to the ground, clutching his nose, which was now bleeding profusely. The girl looked back to Astoria, who just like everyone else at this point, was laughing her head off. And with that, the two walked away.

Meanwhile, the poor kid remained on the floor, rolling about and swearing in a rather whiny tone.

 

I stood up, which I may have done a bit too fast since my entire head began to spin. _Did I really have that much already?_

_Who cares?_ I thought.

I was feeling the best I had in ages.

Once the room stopped twirling, I walked towards my friend and crouched down beside him. “Maybe I shoulda mentioned she’s a beater. A bloody good one at that.” As I laughed, a couple tears fell from Theodore’s face. “Don’t forget about that one hundred galleons you promised,” I added.

And with that, I gave him a pat on the back and continued on my way to the drink table. I could hear him moaning behind me, _“You did this, this is your fault!”_

His voice, however, was soon drowned out by the music blasting throughout the room. By this time, the party was in full swing. The alcohol was almost half gone, cleavage was everywhere, and my personal favorite- drunk boys were playing a game of chess. Pieces flew about the table as they shouted out moves, cheering as two knights destroyed each other.

 

I grabbed myself a glass and took a moment to choose which drink I felt like indulging myself in. There was one particular fascinating drink which glowed green. That bottle had remained, for the most part, untouched. I recognized it as one of the alcohols Blaise had bought earlier from the pub owner. Nasty stuff that was. Delicious, but one sip and you’d be drunk beyond belief. And it was a different kind of drunk. If anything, it was more of a high, and also something I didn’t feel like experiencing at the moment.

 

I settled on making myself a nice spiced butterbeer. Mixing a drink while already drunk was a skill I used to have down perfectly. Though, it seemed that through lack of practice, those skills seemed to have been lost. As I was pouring the spiced rum and vodka over my butterbeer, I suddenly lost balance and stumbled back a few steps, pouring alcohol all over the floor and table. I may have gotten it on some girl’s shoes as well, for there was a sudden shriek beside me.

Fuck it, I was too out of it to care.

The moment the drink touched my lips, I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth that seemed to fill my entire body. In that same moment, I felt small hands gently grab my shoulder from behind. Eyes still closed, I relaxed my muscles and shrugged my shoulders back as the hands squeezed on a particularly tense part of my neck. Even drunk, I could recognize that grip.

“Pansy Parkinson. I was wondering where you were.” I grunted as her grip tightened.

“You know I never miss a party.” Her breath hit my neck with every soft-spoken word, giving me goose bumps.

She let go of my shoulders and trailed a finger down my spine. “Pour me a drink, will you? Vodka. Just vodka.”

 

I grabbed one of the smaller glasses and poured her a shot. In that time, she had moved over beside me, leaning against the table with one hand on her hip.

And damn. She looked sexy as hell.

Her incredibly short dress had long, tight sleeves made of black lace that fell off her shoulders, and a scooped neck, which was made of the same sheer fabric. The rest was deep purple, with another sheer band at her waist. The damned thing seemed to hug every curve on her body.

The girl chucked, knowing exactly what she was doing to me. She grabbed the drink from my hand and threw it back without showing any sign of its foul taste. She must have been nearly as drunk as I was.

 

“Do you like my dress, Draco?” She smiled up at me and placed a hand on my chest, toying with one of my buttons.

_I’d like to tear it off you…_

She didn’t even wait for me to reply.

Her hand slid down my side and under my shirt. “This party’s rather boring isn’t it?”

I gave her a drunken smile before chugging down the rest of my drink.

“I was thinking the same thing,” I spoke slowly as I moved closer and grabbed her by the hips. “How about…” I tightened my grip and held her tight against me, until my lips were hovering against her neck, “we go make our own fun.”

Her hands gripped tight around my arms as I deeply kissed her neck. A small moan escaped her just as the girl grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked my head back. “Then what the hell are you waiting for, Malfoy?” Her blood red lips pulled up into a mischievous smirk. She began leading us away from the tables in what I could only assume was the direction of the dormitories.

We bumped into several people, even knocking one girl over to the floor. _“Get a fucking room!”_ the girl yelled over her shoulder.

“I’m _trying,_ you _cunt_!” I called back, Pansy helping the cause by flipping her off.

 

After many stumbles we managed to make it up the stairs and into the tight hall, where we bounced back and forth off the walls until we reached my room near the end. I pushed her hard against the door, pausing for a moment to look her over, then grabbing her bottom lip between my teeth. Her hands flew up to my chest, fiercely kissing me back as she began yanking my shirt open. A few buttons could be heard hitting the floor of the hall as she pulled on the fabric, not taking the time to be careful.

 

Pansy pulled away and looked at my now bare chest, giving me a dazed smile as she ran a single finger down the base of my neck. She moved lower and lower, until she reached the waist of my pants, which were already growing tighter. She bit her lip and smiled as she slipped her finger in them, and pulled my hips to hers. Slowly, she started moving against me, driving me even crazier than I already was. I roughly grabbed her by the back of the neck and pressed my forehead against hers, looking her in the eyes as my other hand grabbed her breast. She giggled, kissing my collarbone and slowly began lifting up her dress. Inch by inch, she exposed more of her ivory skin, along with the lacy black lingerie she had on beneath. She knew exactly how to move her body, and exactly how to make me want her like mad.

 

I couldn’t take it. I threw open the door, grabbed her by the thighs and lifted her up so she was straddling my hips. I brought her into my room, making sure to kick the door closed behind me, and tossed her onto my bed.

 

Pansy let out a small squeak as she landed on the plush mattress.

 

“Do you even _know_ , how fucking sexy you are?” I growled, crawling over her.

 

She smirked, grabbing one of my hands and gliding it down her stomach. I toyed with the lace of her underwear, pulling it down little by little as I left a trail of deep kisses down her chest.  

 

 

* * *

 

 

**_CLARA’S P.O.V:_ **

****

 

Before us, the room was packed with people. Music that was only moments ago silent to our ears, blasted within the Common Room.

 

“Get in. We need to close the doors before the sound travels,” Goyle grumbled, him and Crabbe both moving to shove us through the doors.

 

“Ow- get your hands off-“ I started, but before I could finish we were already inside and the stone doors had shut behind us. Inside, I was able to fully take in the scenery of the Slytherin Common room.

 

The room was quite grand, yet like the tunnel leading up to it, it felt a bit cold. The walls were stone, lined with giant pillars circling the entire room. Green lanterns hung from the walls and the ceiling, giving the dark room a slightly green tinge of lighting. The furniture was of the darkest colored wood, and all around the room were velvet-cushioned armchairs and sofas made of dark green and black leather. At the far end of the room was a large, roaring fireplace. Two small tables set up with games of chess sat near the fire, and to my surprise, I saw two very drunk looking guys attempting to play a game.

 

The music pulsated through the room, and all around me were people moving- dancing, talking, laughing, kissing. I assumed most were Slytherins, yet through the crowd I could spot some familiar faces that I knew from other houses.

 

“Time to party!” I heard Gavin call out over the music, grinning down at me. “Let’s go get some alcohol!” he added, grabbing my arm.

 

“I’m okay! You go ahead,” I told him, shooing him off.

 

Gavin pouted at me, but Nina grabbed his arm instead, “I need a drink,” she said.

 

“We’ll be right back. Don’t get too crazy with out us!” Gavin winked at me, and I watched as the two of them wandered off into the crowd.

 

Once they had disappeared, I was left to face the crowd alone.

The crowd seemed to be growing bigger, and tighter, closing in around me. Everyone seemed to have a similar, clouded look to their eyes- grins spread across their faces, laughter pouring from their mouths, their bodies moving to the beat of the music.

 

I frowned and found myself just standing there, staring.

For the first time in my life, I felt incredibly sober.

 

Not wanting to wait around, standing frozen like an idiot any longer, I decided to go find Gavin and Nina myself.

 

_Alright,_ I thought in exasperation, _where did those two fools go?_

I started moving in the direction that I had seen them go, and tried to search for wherever all the alcohol was- since, clearly, that was where they would be. Finally, my eyes found a long table splayed with all sorts of bottles and cups. It was the most alcohol I had ever seen in my life. Bottles of all different shapes and sizes covered the entire table. Yet, I did not see Gavin or Nina anywhere nearby.

 

I sighed in frustrated and leaned against the table, looking around as if I would miraculously find them in the crowd.

Of course, I knew I wouldn’t.

They were probably doing the same thing- searching for me.

_Or maybe they are too drunk to remember they left you and are off having fun like everyone else,_ I realized.

 

Well, I certainly wasn’t having fun standing around, not doing anything.

 

I gazed at the laughing and smiling people around me, then at the table of drinks. I seemed to continue doing this- slowly looking back and forth- about a million times before I finally fully faced the table and grabbed the nearest bottle. “Bloody hell, screw it,” I mumbled under my breath.

 

_Why not let loose for a night?_

_That way, at least I would know whether or not I like it._

_And hey, maybe I would!_

_One shot wouldn’t hurt._

“I’m not giving into peer pressure, I am making my own, sensible decision,” I told myself assuredly, earning a strange look from a guy pouring himself a drink near me.

 

I held the bottle up in front of me curiously. It was probably the most interesting looking alcohol I had ever laid my eyes upon. It was in a small, round bottle, and the liquid was bright green. And not only was it green, it was _glowing!_

I squinted my eyes, trying to make sense of the bright, glowing substance. Eventually, though, I gave up and shrugged. I took off the cap, poured it into a cup and took a big swig of it.

 

I scrunched up my nose, prepared for a foul taste. However, the taste that occurred was anything but foul. It was sweet, like…. like rasberries. Or… maybe more like strawberries. And sugar. And caramel. And vanilla. And… and minty too! It left a cool, airy feel against my tongue. It was like a million wonderful flavors all at once.

 

Apparently, alcohol didn’t always taste bad.

 

“Well done, Slytherins,” I said under my breathe.

 

I took another swig from my cup and set it back down on the table.

 

_There. Only two swigs of alcohol._

_I won’t even get drunk. Just a little tipsy, perhaps._

“Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up.”

 

A familiar, low and velvety voice sounded behind me and I whirled around.

 

Blaise stood before me, a dazzling smile spread across his face. He looked incredibly smug- which, I’m sure, came from his immense satisfaction in seeing that I decided to attend his party despite everything I had said earlier today.

 

I crossed my arms. “A friend managed to convince me,” I told him, sticking my chin up ever so slightly.

 

“Was I not convincing enough?” he faked a surprised look, then dropped it for a smirk. His brows rose as he took in my appearance and he shook his head with a sharp sigh, “Clara, you’ve outdone yourself. You know, if I had only known I would have such a breathtaking girl attending my party, I would have put in a little more effort.” He straightened his skinny, dark purple tie for emphasis, cocking his brows in an arrogant fashion.

 

I had to admit, Blaise looked sharp.

He wore black trousers, with a black button up. The tie was the only pop of color against his dark outfit.

Somehow, though, he seemed to pull it off effortlessly.

Was there anything about this guy that wasn’t spot on?

 

I sighed and let myself smile slightly at him, “Do you ever get tired of maintaining that charm of yours?”

 

Blaise grinned smoothly in response. “Tired? Pfft. Never,” he winked. “Then again, it all comes naturally for me, really. What can I say? I’m a charming lad,” he sighed and gave a shrug, taking a sip of his drink. 

 

“And ever so humble,” I added.

 

“That, too!” he agreed, his dark eyes brightening.

 

I rolled my eyes and shook my head at him. As I shook my head, I noticed the room began to sway ever so slightly, and my knees felt suddenly very jelly-like. My brows furrowed in confusion and I blinked repeatedly, trying to regain my vision.

 

“Oh no, something stuck in your eye?” I heard Blaise saying. “Damn, that’s the worst. Here, open your eyes and tilt your head back and I’ll see if I can see anything!”

 

_Why did his voice sound so far away?_

 

Through my blinking and swaying of the room, I saw Blaise move closer to me. His hand moved to cup my cheek and he leaned in towards my face.

 

His face was blurry in front of mine, and it seemed to sway back and forth as if in slow motion.

 

I let out a surprised squeak and quickly swatted his hand away.

 

He stopped, his hand halted next to my face. “What- …oh. Oh! _No,_ did you think I was going to- no! I wasn’t going to- “ he fumbled around his words, “I was just going to check your eyes. Here, let me help!” he stepped closer once again.

 

“No!” I accidentally snapped, far more loud and aggressive than I had intended. I felt heat rise to my cheeks, “Sorry. I mean no. Blaise. I’m f-fine, my eyes are f-fine. I’m just….” I felt myself begin to lose sense of what I was saying. My head had grown incredibly fuzzy, my thoughts whirling around all at once. I started to grow incredibly anxious as everything around me became more and more out of focus. “I’m fine,” I mumbled, my own voice sounding far away to my ears.

 

Though his face still appeared blurry, I could make out a look of confusion flash over his features. His brows furrowed together, his dark eyes set on mine, “Funny. You don’t look fine. In fact, you look completely wasted,” he let out a short laugh. “You know, I never would have guessed you’d have a wild side. What a surprise! You are just full of mysteries, aren’t you?”

 

I quickly shook my head, “No! I’m not drunk!” I protested.

 

_But if I’m not drunk, then why is everything spinning?_

 

Blaise laughed and shook his head, “Oh, Clara. What a little comedian you are. But seriously- fess up, how many shots did you have exactly?” he smirked and wiggled his eyebrows.

 

“N-no. You don’t understand! I only had two swigs of a drink!” I told him, feeling suddenly very frustrated and very dizzy at the same time.

 

“What?” Blaise said, looking confused, “And you’re _this_ wasted? How is that even possib-“ he stopped. Suddenly, he froze, his eyes hardening as if something important had just occurred to him. “Clara….” He spoke slowly. His tone of voice had suddenly changed to a much gentler tone, and he rested both hands carefully on my shoulders as he said his next words, “What kind of alcohol do you remember drinking?”

 

_What kind?_

I could hardly focus on what he was saying.

I tried racking my brain for the answer.

_What kind of alcohol?_ I repeated in my head, my thoughts slowly starting to process.

Suddenly, memories of a miraculously sweet taste filled my mind, along with the image of a mysterious, green substance.

 

“It was…. green. Very green. And… and glowing!” I breathed, my eyes widening. “Oh…. And it tasted _soooo goooood!,”_ I smiled giddily in remembrance.

 

_What the fuck is wrong with me?_

_Why do I feel so giddy all of the sudden?_

“Fuck,” Blaise swore, stepping back from me. He continued to curse under his breathe and held his head with both hands, “Bloody hell, I knew buying that stuff was a bad idea…”

 

My giddy feeling disappeared and I frowned as I heard him swear.

 

“What? What’s wrong?” I slurred, trying to step forward and nearly knocking into a table in the process.

 

My head seemed to pulse with the vibration of the music. My surroundings became increasingly blurry, my stance on the ground seeming to grow less and less secure. Suddenly, I was hit with a wave of nausea and I clutched my stomach with both hands.

 

“Clara, listen to me. You may or may not have had some very, _very_ strong alcohol,” Blaise was telling me, his hands resting on my shoulders once again. “It’s something called Dragon Blood,” he said.

 

_“Dragon Blood?”_ I felt a sense of fear strike through me. “B-blood?” I stammered, my eyes growing huge.

 

I suddenly felt even more queasy.

 

“No, no, no!” Blaise sighed. “Not like _real_ blood. At least… well…. I don’t think so.”

 

I no longer was paying attention to what he was saying. The sickening feeling that was crawling through my stomach had grown unbearable, making my head whirl. The voices and music in the room became one large buzz to my ears. The tall, stone walls surrounding me continually swayed from side to side. Blaise seemed to be talking to me, his mouth forming words that I could not hear.

 

“Move,” I groaned pushing his hands off of my shoulders. When he didn’t budge, I shoved him off of me harder, “I need to go! I can’t be here!” I heard myself say.

 

And suddenly, I was running.

Or… at least… I felt like I was running.

I couldn’t really tell. Everything was moving so fast.

I felt myself shoving my way through the crowd of bodies, trying desperately to find somewhere that wasn’t packed with people.

_I just need to get out,_ was all I could think.

 

I needed to find a restroom. An empty room, even, would do.

 

After what felt like ages, I finally managed to reach the other side of the Common Room, where a wall of doors stood before me. Without thinking, I hastily opened the closest door and flung myself through it, shutting it behind me. From what I could tell, I was in a tight, skinny corridor, leading down to another wall of doors. I quickly ran down the corridor and threw open the first door I laid my eyes upon.

 

The room I found myself entering was most definitely not a restroom.

Nor an empty room.

In fact, it was not empty at all.

 

In front of me, I saw two entangled bodies of pale, ivory skin, wrapped within bedsheets. A boy and a girl. To my horror, I realized that they were… well, they were naked, and they were… engaging in an extremely intimate activity.

 

_Oh Merlin save me now._

My eyes grew wide in terror and I quickly stumbled backwards, hastily making for the door, only to nearly to trip over a pile of clothes. My back slammed into the door and suddenly the room began to sway, the fuzziness of my head taking over. The sickening feeling in my gut heightened, and I couldn’t hold it in any longer. The sense of horror of what I had walked in on combined with the overwhelming waves of nausea that were rolling through me caused me to break. My hand gripped the doorknob tightly, my other hand gripping my stomach as I leaned over and let the nausea take over.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**_DRACO’S P.O.V:_ **

 

My mind was completely blank.

Nothing to worry me. Nothing to stress over. Nothing.

Sex had successfully blocked out anything that the alcohol had left behind. All that existed in the world was Pansy’s naked body, the sound of moans mixed with the squeaking of the mattress, and pleasure. Especially pleasure. I held my arms tighter around the girl beneath me, licking up her neck, when I heard the door creak open.

Of course, it didn’t register at first. I had my mind on… _more important things._

Pansy, however, was definitely more alert than me. Her head shot up, and she began swearing loudly at something unknown to me.

 

Had I done something? Wait… were those _footsteps?_

I twisted my body to see a small girl standing wide eyed in the doorway. I was suddenly filled with rage. “Who the hell _are you?”_ I yelled. “What makes you think you can just walk into _my_ room while I’m _using it?”_ I hid my manhood with my hands the best I could (which was difficult considering its current state) and rushed to throw on my boxers.

 

The terrified girl spun around, though the dumb thing lost her footing and slammed straight into the door. All the while, Pansy kept shrieking out insults, grabbing a pillow and hurling it at the intruder, not seeming to care that her body was completely exposed.

 

It seemed this girl was a lot dumber than she looked. Instead of leaving, she just grabbed the doorknob and stood there. Then, without any warning, she doubled over and puked right on the floor. Right on my fucking bedroom floor.

 

“What the _hell?!”_ I couldn’t help but shriek at the current situation. I felt the anger build up inside of me as the girl turned and ran back out the door.

I was at a loss for words. This fucking dumb slut walked in, puked on my floor, and ran off without saying a single word. I didn’t even know who the bitch was.

 

I rolled off the bed in a very ungraceful manner and stumbled to the door, trying the best I could to avoid the disgusting gift the girl had left us.

“ _I’m sooo soooory!”_ she yelled behind her, her words sounding slurred. She was moving as fast as she could down the hall, using the wall for support. _“I’m so sorry! Oh merlin, I didn’t mean it, ‘m sorry!”_ she continued to call over her shoulder.

 

A sudden rush of dizziness hit me. The whole thing was making me feel nauseous at well. With a loud groan, I leaned forward until my head hit against the doorway.

I realized that Pansy was still cursing and yelling, either to me or herself. I didn’t care which. All I knew was that I didn’t want to fucking hear it anymore.

“Shut the _FUCK_ up Pansy!” I growled, walking towards my dresser.  I yanked open the top drawer and dug through piles of socks and shirts until I found what I was looking for.

A rather large bottle of very potent alcohol.

Eyelids half open, I lugged myself over to one of the armchairs and plopped down. The smell of alcohol burnt my nose the moment I opened the bottle.

It was time for this night to be over.

 

“Draco?” Pansy laid herself out in a seductive pose and ran one of her hands over her own body. “Come back to bed Draco. We have to finish what we started.”

 

It was tempting.

But I’d had enough.

 

I looked her in the eye and took a drink straight out of the bottle.“Y’wanna know what I’m gonna do? I’m gonna drink this until I pass right the fuck out in this chair. That’s what ‘m gonna do.” I cringed as I took another drink, hoping sleep would come soon.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**_CLARA’S P.O.V:_ **

****

“You _what?”_ Nina gasped, her blue eyes growing wide.

 

“Wait a second,” Gavin sighed, putting a hand against his head in exasperation, “I’m not sure what’s worse- you seeing Malfoy and Parkinson _doing it,_ or you barfing on his bedroom floor.”

 

“Gavin you’re _not helping,”_ I groaned, stuffing my face into a pillow. We were back in the Ravenclaw Tower, and I was lying on my stomach on one of the Common Room sofas. After I had fled Malfoy’s room, Gavin and Nina had somehow managed to find me and bring me back to the Common Room. They were now sitting on the edge of the sofa beside me, patting my hair and attempting to comfort me. But it didn’t matter what they said- after what happened tonight, I was completely mortified.

 

And, to top it all off, I was still drunk.

What the hell was in that stuff?

 

_Next time I see Blaise, I am going to kill him,_ I thought darkly.

 

“Honestly, Clara, they were probably so shitfaced that they won’t even remember!” Gavin assured me brightly, continuing to gently stroke my hair.

 

“I doubt that,” Nina stated.

 

_“Shhhhh,”_ Gavin hissed at her.

 

“I feel awful,” I grumbled. “And my head is still spinning. Remind me to never drink mysterious, green glowing alcohol ever again.”

 

“I’m sorry you’ve had such a shit night, love,” Gavin sighed, softly tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. He paused, “Did Malfoy have a nice bum, at least?”

 

“Gavin!” I whacked his arm.

 

“Disgusting,” said Nina, wrinkling her nose.

 

“You didn’t answer my question,” he grinned, eyes glinting mischievously.

 

“You are absolutely ridiculous,” I laughed.

 

“Ridiculous enough to get you to smile,” Gavin chimed.

 

“How about we agree to never attend a Slytherin party ever again, and to go and get some bloody sleep. I’m exhausted,” Nina yawned.

 

We all agreed that we were in need of some sleep after our crazy night. Nina and I said goodnight to Gavin, returned to our room, and I eagerly stripped myself of my tight, uncomfortable clothing. The sheets of my bed were warm and welcoming, and as I closed my eyes and let myself drift off into slumber, I made a mental note with myself to never acknowledge the happenings off this night ever again. Ever. Again.

 

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear Merlin! So much drama ;) That was a LONG chapter! Thank-you SO much for reading it, and we hope that you enjoyed it! If you did, we would LOVE and really appreciate if you would leave a comment letting us know what you think! 
> 
> Xoxo,   
> Anna & Lola <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As expected, Blaise's party was a complete disaster for Draco and Clara. However, even worse than the party, is having to attend class the next day. Surely, this day can't get any worse. Or can it?

**_DRACO’S P.O.V:_ **

****

I cradled my throbbing head in my hands, wishing to be anywhere but in a noisy, insanely bright classroom. I didn’t even know how I ended up there. Going to class was not in my plans for today. Those plans included sleeping, puking, and secluding myself from all other living things.

But somehow, I got here. Honestly, I was still a little drunk from the night before. My best guess was that Blaise or Theo began talking to me and I ended up subconsciously following them to this bloody hellhole. However, Theo seemed to be in the same situation as me. Behind me sat Pansy and Theo, who both looked a little rough. Though it was obvious that the boy was suffering a lot more. He too held his head in his hands, as beside him Blaise and Pansy laughed about the events of the previous night. A conversation I was not a part of, since it seemed Pansy had took it upon herself to completely ignore my existence.

In my eyes, this was a blessing.

 

“Theo, man, you were fucking insane! You got slapped, what? Five times?” Blaise and Pansy laughed, patting the boy’s bony shoulder.

 

He managed a moan and pulled his hood over his head.

 

“You’re absolutely pathetic when it comes to women. If it wasn’t so funny, I might try to help you,” Pansy’s voice was a bit too flirty. Even though I couldn’t see her, I knew she was looking straight at me.

I knew exactly what she was doing. And she knew she was succeeding.

I hated that her little stab to make me jealous worked. Of course, we were nothing more than friends with benefits. But after sleeping with someone for months on end, you’d have to have a heart made of stone not to develop even the smallest underlying feelings for the person.

And hell, did she love playing with them.

Fucking and fighting. The two things Pansy Parkinson did best. Give her the slightest bit of either one and she’d run with it. I swear, the girl was fucking bipolar.

 

As for last night, it proved as the perfect excuse to do one or the other, and, being the thoughtful bitch she was, she left that choice to me.

Let’s see. Fuck or fight when some bitch interrupted my one moment of thoughtlessness. What a tough choice that was.

How could I even be expected to get right back into it with that giant mood crusher? Some chick walks in and pukes, and I’m expected to want to bang again after that? With a puddle of someone else’s stomach contents on my floor? No fucking way. Not even _I’m_ that desperate.

Speaking of the idiot, she was sitting in this very room. I now remembered exactly who she was. She was the girl Blaise had been hitting on for the past week, and of course, the girl he had made an effort to invite. Instead of sitting in her usual spot in front of us, she had hidden herself in the back corner of the room, hiding her face behind a veil of hair.

I couldn’t help but crack a smile. She looked absolutely trashed. Her eyelids hung heavy over her sickly looking eyes, her hair seemed to resemble Granger’s unruly main, and her skin was a disgusting pasty pale, which lead me to believe she was ready to vomit any second. Again.

 

Her obvious humiliation of what had happened last night did make me feel slightly better. I had to admit, I would have been pretty disappointed if she was too drunk to recall what she had done. Something about knowing she felt terrible about what happened was extremely satisfying. If I wasn’t feeling so terrible myself, I would have helped her out with that self-loathing.

Maybe another time.

I was sure that with Blaise’s new obsession, I’d be seeing more of her around, whether I wanted to or not.

 

I laid my head back down on the desk, hoping to maybe die before class started. My brain seemed to be trying to break out of my head through my eye sockets. I finally managed to doze off for a moment, when the high-pitched shriek of our professor’s voice rung out through the room.

 

“Good morning class!” his shrill voice drilled right into my head. If I could stand up without wanting to puke, I might have left then and there.

 

“I fucking hate you Blaise.” I groaned, truly meaning it in that moment.

All I got back was a laugh.

 

* * *

 

****

**_CLARA’S P.O.V:_ **

 

I barely even noticed Professor Flitwick enter the classroom. I didn’t look to see the tiny man stride through, only heard the sound of the doors close behind him, followed by the pattering of his footsteps to the front of the room. I was much too preoccupied with the pounding of my head, the persistent nausea that swirled through my stomach, and the lingering exhaustion that was causing my eyelids to grow heavy.

 

I felt bloody awful.

I had never experienced a hangover before- but I could now honestly say that it was a feeling that I never wanted to feel again.

It didn’t help that on top of feeling horrid, my mind was plagued by flashbacks and horrible memories of the previous night.

You would think that considering how drunk I was- I would remember less of what had happened. Unfortunately, though, I remembered everything. It seemed as though forgetting the most embarrassing night of my life was too good to be true.

 

I felt my face grow hot as I replayed the image of what had happened in my head.

I was completely mortified.

 

I could only hope that Malfoy and Pansy’s memories were too blurred to really remember what happened, or that, at the very least, they wouldn’t identify me as the culprit.

_Culprit?_   _Really? You are being too hard on yourself._

Perhaps I was slightly over-dramatizing the situation, but it couldn’t be denied that what had happened was one big, embarrassing disaster.

 

If there was one thing that I was sure of, it was that I was going to stay the hell away from Malfoy.

Sure, I completely humiliated myself in front of him- but it wasn’t like I ever had to deal with him again. It wasn’t like we were anywhere _close_ to being friends- we weren’t even acquaintances. We had never had a conversation before, or really even looked each other’s way, in all the years we had been at Hogwarts.

I was pretty sure he didn’t even know my name, or know that I was in the same class as him, for that matter. However, this knowledge did not stop me from choosing to sit on the opposite side of the classroom from him this morning, or creating a curtain of hair over my face to shield my identity.

 

_You’re pathetic,_ I told myself angrily.

And, yes, perhaps I was, but it was easier to avoid him than have to face him.

 

“You might want to push your hair out of your face. You look weird,” Nina mumbled from the seat beside me.

 

“Shhhh,” I hissed at her.

 

_“Good morning class!”_ Professor Flitwick announced cheerfully. 

 

I forced myself to look up, cringing as sudden pain pierced through my head with the movement.

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so miserable to be in class,” Nina whispered with a slight grin.

 

“Be quiet,” I muttered groggily, rubbing my heavy eyelids.

 

“Grumpy,” she snickered.

 

“I have a new assignment for you, today!” Flitwick went on, moving to his desk and shuffling through his papers as he spoke. “I will be expecting each of you to select three charms of your choice- preferably ones that you have particular interests in- and produce a six paged research paper to me by the start of next week. I also expect that you are able to properly present these charms to me, yourself! Now, for this project, I will be requiring that you work with a partner. You and your partner will decide how to split up your project, as well as select three charms that you can agree on. How does that sound?” he clasped his hands together and beamed delightfully.

 

Nina and I looked over at each other and nodded. It was our wordless way of confirming that we would, of course, be partners.

 

“Oh! And I shall be selecting the partners,” Flitwick added, still grinning.

 

“Damn it,” Nina sighed.

 

Flitwick then proceeded to point to each student, randomly selecting partners. I sighed as I waited for him to call out my name, leaning my elbows against my desk. I softly closed my eyes and rubbed my temples with my fingers, trying to rid of my migraine.

 

“Ah, Clara!”

 

My eyes snapped open as Flitwick called out my name.

 

“Your partner shall be…. Ah, let’s see here…” Flitwick scanned the room with squinted eyes, then broke out into a sudden grin, “Mr. Malfoy! You will be Miss Paisley’s partner!”

 

_“What?”_ I snapped. A strike of panic ran through me.

_Did he really just say Malfoy?_

_Was I imagining?_

Flitwick frowned, his brows furrowing, “What was that Miss Paisley? Is there an issue?”

 

I opened my mouth, ready to spew out a fountain of protests, then shut it.

_Yes, yes there is a bloody problem. There is a huge, gigantic problem._

I gritted my teeth together and shook my head at Flitwick, fighting down the urge to curse profusely.

 

“Good!” Flitwick beamed, continuing to pair off more students.

 

“So much for your plan to avoid him….” Nina trailed off, frowning.

 

I glared at her and put my hands to my temples again, letting out a long sigh, “Remind me to kill Flitwick.”

 

“I don’t think you’d be his favorite student anymore if you did that.”

 

Out of all the things that could go wrong, _this_ had to happen?

After last night, this was probably _the_ worst thing that could happen.

Never in my life have I ever had to spend a minute with Malfoy, yet _now,_ when I actually _need_ to avoid him, I’m forced to spend a week studying alone with him? How bloody ironic.

 

Yet nevermind how _I_ felt about this. He couldn’t be too pleased either. I mean, I did make a drunken mess of myself, literally, all over his bedroom. _And_ I interrupted him in the middle of his.... intimate moment with Pansy.

 

I hesitantly brushed my hair out of my face and dared to look across the room. There Malfoy sat, the same miserable and bored expression lying on his pale face as it usually did. Except today, he looked _especially_ miserable, if that were even possible, Probably extremely hungover, no doubt. Suddenly, his pale eyes flickered over to me, his lips turning into a deep scowl.

 

I quickly turned my head back around a cursed under my breath.

 

_I just need this class to end._

 

Class seemed to drag on incredibly slow, and when it finally came to its end, I stood up much to quickly- causing my head to pound once again. I grabbed my book and held it to my chest, then let my gaze travel across the classroom. Malfoy, along with Blaise, Pansy, and Theo, were exiting the classroom.

 

“Nina,” I suddenly said, “You go on. I’ll catch up with you in a bit. There’s something I need to do.”

 

Before I could hear her response, I quickly walked off, swerving my way through the bustle of students. Once in the corridor outside the classroom, I hastily stood on my tiptoes and searched across the crowd. Finally, I found what I was looking for. A shock of white hair.

 

“Excuse me,” I mumbled, shoving through a group of people.

 

I could see his full form now. He seemed to have left his friends and was now walking by himself, moving briskly down the hall.

 

_You’ll need to deal with him sooner or later. Just do it._

I let out a sigh of dread and ran to catch up with him.

 

“Malfoy!” I called out, finally reaching him. I reached to poke his arm, only to quickly draw back my arm when he suddenly spun around.

 

Up close, he looked even worse.

His skin was white as a sheet, and bags that showed no sign of sleep lay beneath his eyes. Though he was tall, with broad shoulders and a nice slender physique- there was a slight frailness in the way he carried himself beneath his dark suit, as if he had recently lost some weight. His grey eyes took in the sight of me and instantly hardened into a cold glare as they seemed to register who I was.

 

“What do _you_ want?” he scowled, voice laced with disgust.

 

“I- well, I just- um…” I stuttered. I felt a flurry of nerves twist in my already-upset stomach.

 

_Really, now you’ve lost the ability to speak? Don’t be a fool. He’s just a boy. A stupid, angsty boy._

I let out a sigh and held my book tight to my chest, “Look, _Malfoy,”_ I spoke firmly, surprising myself with the strength in my tone. “I know that I’m probably the last person you want to be talking to right now- and _believe me,_ I’d rather be doing anything else. But seeing as we are, unfortunately, being forced to cooperate with one another, it looks like you’re just going to have to get over it and wipe that horrid scowl off your face- because, frankly, if we are going to be working together for the next week, I do not have the patience within me to keep looking at it. So, with that being said, I’d like you to please kindly put aside whatever grudge you hold against me until we have completed our work together. You can carry on with your pouting once we’re through- but until then you need to pretend like you actually care and work with me on this project- because _I_ care about doing well in school,” I had to catch my breathe after the long speech I had just delivered. I raised my chin and looked at him expectantly, only to get a sneer in response.

 

“And why the hell would I listen to anything you have to say?” he replied hotly.

 

“Because you were assigned a project and you need to do the work,” I stated simply, staring at him in disbelief.

 

“Do I really look like I care?” he scoffed.

 

I opened my mouth, then closed it, feeling at a loss for words. I narrowed my eyes in frustration, “No, you don’t,” I snapped, “and it’s not a flattering look,” I added. “But you’re going to start caring now, and you’re going to meet me tomorrow night at six o’clock in the library to start working on this bloody project, whether you like it or not. It’s one week, Malfoy. I think you can manage.”

 

At that, his eyes hardened and his jaw clenched irritably. “You-“

 

“See you then,” I cut him off.

 

And with that, I turned on my heel and left him, not bothering to turn and look back at him. Despite the headache that still lingered and the annoyance that I felt from the dialogue, I couldn’t help but feel satisfied leaving him standing there, alone.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey guys! Just a short one today, but the next one will be up very soon! :) We hope that you liked it. Let us know what you think! 
> 
> Xoxo,  
> Anna & Lola


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clara and Draco have no choice but to cooperate in order to complete their assignment for Charms. However, Draco's mind is stuck on far more important matters as he finds himself constantly haunted by his own demons.

**_DRACO’S P.O.V:_ **

 

The afternoon brought the first snowfall of the season. The high-pitched cheering of the lower years filled the halls as they ran through the grounds, their chubby cheeks rosy from the cold. Not too long ago I was one of them, an obnoxious child tossing snowballs at whoever was unfortunate enough to walk by. Even into last year the first snow brought a kind of childhood excitement. But this year, it brought nothing but anxiety. It just meant time was passing.

Less time to fix the cabinet. Less time to succeed.

And to think I could have had an easy pass at it all.

Just yesterday, Slughorn offered a reward that was almost too good to be true. A vial of Felix Felicis; Liquid Luck as it’s more commonly known.

It was almost cruel, the way guaranteed success was dangled right in front of my face, taunting me with what could have been.

Just imagine how the Dark Lord would reward me, finishing the task in just two months! All the glory and praise, not to mention the honor and respect my family would gain back. The Malfoys would once again reign superior, and I would be the one to bring us back to the top! Mother would have her husband back, I would be the pride and joy of the family, and we could live as a family again, without the worries of what the Dark Lord would threaten us with next looming over our heads.

My daydream almost overtook me when Potter’s oh-so-perfect glory returned to my thoughts. My head swirled with anger as I remembered the smug look on his face as he held up the little vial containing _my_ success.

_Damn, Potter… spoiled prick always gets what he wants_.

Everything. Out of everyone, even mudblood Granger, _he_ gets it. The fucking half-wit, standing there holding up his winnings and glancing at me with that practiced sneer of his.

If only there was some way to take it. Would it be worth going through all the trouble to befriend a Gryffindor? Someone who could steal it for me? First years were so impressionable; maybe if I promised the kid something from Honeydukes… or just money… you could get people to do anything for the right amount…

Impossible plots to steal the vial played through my thoughts as I sat in front of the cabinet. My work had reached a plateau, and all that luck I’d been having now seemed like nothing. As much as I tried, no matter how much I researched, the cabinet refused to be repaired past its current point.

It worked fine with simple objects. Apples, books… all went through and returned without a problem.

Though, when it comes to living things, the odds weren’t as pretty. The poor creatures would come back deformed, with missing limbs, or even dead. Compared to the other two, I preferred finding the latter. The panicked shrieks of a mouse with three missing legs and half a tail was not a pleasant thing to witness.

If this plan failed, then what the hell was I supposed to do? I was so confident that this would be an easy enough fix…

All summer I practiced for this! All bloody summer! Hours of practicing non-verbal spells, days upon days of research and planning… Not to mention the way my mother looked at me those last few weeks before school. There was hopelessness in her eyes, which brought me both pain and contempt. Of course she was worried, but at the same time, it made me wonder if she had any faith in me at all.

At this point I knew more magic than most of the seventh years. But what good would that do me if I couldn’t get the bloody cabinet to work? There was _no way_ I wasn’t prepared for this. No fucking way.

I could feel the frustration and anxiety boiling inside me. It was all too much. I jumped up and grabbed the closest object I could find, which happened to be an old vase, and with a growl of desperation, threw the ugly thing at the cabinet and spun around to kick the leg of a table behind me. There was a loud shatter as ceramic shards flew in every direction and skidded across the floor, which was soon met with grunts of pain as I slumped back down to rub my stubbed toe.

_“Damned room, too fucking crowded, god damn shit everywhere, bloody ticking clocks everywhere, I’m going to go fucking mad if I have to spend the rest of the fucking year in here every god damn fucking day,”_ I grumbled to myself, standing up and quickly rushing to grab my things. _“Got to get the fuck out of here_.”

Along with my now throbbing toe, my head began to ache, coupled with a sick feeling in my stomach.  I needed peace and quiet. Yes, the room was relatively quiet, but it was a nagging silence. Almost as if the room itself was mocking me. Maybe it was the insanity starting to set in, but that room had a bloody conscience. And it just loved messing with my mind.

The moment I stepped outside, the air already felt lighter. I took a huge intake of breath and leaned my back against the door, which was slowly transforming back into its stone disguise. Time to go somewhere open. I needed fresh air more than anything.

After winding through the corridors and glaring down any terrified kid who crossed my path, I could feel my anxiety begin to slightly fade. I made my way up the spiraling steps of the astronomy tower and stood at the rail overlooking the grounds. That churning in my stomach began to calm as I took in a few deep breaths of the cool air.

“Everything is under control.” I told myself, repeating the lie over and over under my breath. “Malfoys don’t fail.” Though my mind flashed to images of my father’s mugshot the moment the thought entered my mind _. “But he did,”_ a nagging voice in the back of my head whispered. “O _ne wrong move and you’ll join your father in Azkaban. Or worse...”_

My hands gripped tighter on the metal rail. Backup plan. Focus on that _. Think. Of. A backup plan._

My gaze panned over the surrounding grounds. A thin layer of mist shrouded the ground and hovered just over the Black Lake, swirling with the light wind. The brisk air bit at my face, which I found extremely grounding; something much needed with my current state of mind.

I stood like that for a long time, motionless, until my feet began to ache and my skin stung from the cold. And yet, still no ideas. With all the thought running through my head, it was seemingly impossible to focus on what I truly needed to. Like, say, not getting my entire family murdered because I was too much of an idiot.

How hard could it be to kill an old man? One missed step and he’s down with a broken hip. Surely there was an easier way to do this. Maybe if I made it look like an accident. That way no one would be to blame. No one would be at fault. If I could just somehow get someone else to do it...

I knew there had to be an easier way. I just knew it. But some unrelenting force didn’t want me to find out what that was.

Once the chill seeped into my bones, I retreated inside and took a seat on the edge of a crowded hall. Maybe the noise would help silence my head. I watched as countless students hurried by; first years with their piles of books in hand, the couples too enthralled with each other to notice anything but their counterpart… Everyone too interested in what they were doing to notice the blonde kid glaring at them from the windowsill. Just the way I liked it.

Until that fucking second year showed up.

Ava Bengali of Slytherin house.

That irritating little shit was what kept me out of the common room most days. Her and her posse of fellow twelve year olds would do anything in their power to catch a glance from me. Just a glance, nothing more it seemed. Not even a more significant acknowledgement; for whenever I looked their way, their eyes grew wide and the entire group ran away in an eruption of giggles.

Fucking annoying as hell.

Not to mention extremely uncomfortable.

Not in any mood to give them the satisfaction, I kept my gaze forward and cursed their existence for providing my mind with yet another distraction.

I took in a deep breath and tried to close my mind. _They’re just part of the crowd. Focus._

Yet those god-forsaken giggles were so abrasive, not even the strongest muffling charm would’ve been able to quiet them.

My eyes widening in frustration, I tried to gain my composure. All I wanted was to go over there and wring their little necks. Let’s see them try to giggle with collapsed windpipes.

All I had to do was look over and they’d leave. That’s it. But that part of me that was boiling over with hatred just couldn’t let them win their little game. They’re not going to get satisfaction from my misery.

Minutes passed and by the increasing volume of their giggles, I could tell the group was making their way down the hall towards me.

I came here to relax. Clear my mind.

A wave of satisfaction hit me as my eyes, which were filled with fury, met hers, which instantly became glossed over with fear.

I stood up and she took a step back, but just as I did so, I noticed her hand shoot up to grab her necklace. It was silver with opal flowers evenly spaced around the bottom.

_Holy shit._

I knew what to do.

_It’s the necklace._

That cursed opal necklace at Borgan and Burkes. That’s what I had been forgetting. Mother had hinted at the idea that day at the shop; “Dangerously beautiful,” she had called it. _“What power it could have in the right hands.”_

_How the hell did I forget about that?!_

I couldn’t take my eyes off that necklace. My hatred for the girl became almost non-existent, for her ugly flower necklace had solved the problem that nearly drove me into insanity.

The girl, however… that poor little girl was frozen in fear as I towered above her while deep in my own thoughts. She took a sharp intake of breath and tears began to flow from her fear stricken eyes.

In an act of some kind of psychological breakdown, I began to sneer. That sneer turned into a chuckle, which then transitioned into a terrible broken laugh.

The poor little kid couldn’t take it, and ran off as tears streamed down from her eyes.

Looked like I just fixed two problems at once.

On the other hand, my little breakdown had attracted too much attention for my liking. I could feel the eyes of everyone passing looking me over with disapproval.

“What the hell are you looking at?” I snapped as a Hufflepuff girl threw me a disgusted glance.

I made sure to roughly bump the bitch in the shoulder as I left the hall.

“Old habits die hard, eh?” Blaise’s voice tore through the silence of the hall.

Not Him. Not right now

_Do I stop or keep going?_

“I knew the old Draco would come out sooner or later. Good thing too, all that moping was getting to be a real downer for everyone.”

I stopped walking and closed my eyes. “What the hell are you talking about?” My voice came out flat as my expression.

Blaise just chuckled as he came up behind me and learned against the wall. “Hear you’re terrorizing children again. Or was it some other tall, lanky bloke with pure white hair?” 

“Anything to make you happy, _dearest_.” I scoffed and kept on walking.

But of course, Blaise wasn’t done with his fun quite yet.

“Oh-ho, feisty tonight, aren’t we?” the boy taunted as he strolled casually behind me.

“I know _I’d_ be in a better mood if I got to spend the next few hours having a “ _study session”_ with little Miss Paisley.” 

I stopped in my tracks.

_Was that tonight?_

And how the hell did Blaise know? 

“…What?” my voice sounded a bit more confounded than I would have liked. 

Blaise came up next to me once more and gave me a well-practiced smirk. “Oh come on, I’m just kidding! I know you’re just going to be studying in there. Now if _I_ had been assigned her partner, things might have ended up a bit different. Messing around in the library sure would be an exciting challenge.”

I had stopped listening before he even began talking again. I had forgotten all about the study session with Paisley. I was an hour late, and I knew I would have to listen to the little know-it-all rant on about it for an hour.

With nothing more than a groan, I roughly pushed Blaise out of the way and headed back towards the library.

The sooner this was over the better.

“Fine, you git! I’ll be sure to leave some extra tampons in the bathroom for you, it seems you’ll be needing them!” Blaise hollered across the hall, sounding quite pleased with that hilariously original joke he make. Fucking twelve year old.

When I arrived at the library, sounds of aggressive book slamming and hateful mutterings echoed through the halls of ancient shelves. I knew that they were aimed at me the moment I heard the words “Slytherin twat.”

I followed the muffled angry words until I found their tiny, feisty source. There she was, angrily packing her things with so much hostility she didn’t even notice me approaching.

 

* * *

 

**_CLARA’S P.O.V:_ **

 

I gazed at the clock and found myself impatiently tapping the tip of my quill against the sheet of paper in front of me.

_Seven o’clock._

He was an _hour_ late.

Not a little bit late, but an _hour_ late.

It wasn’t surprising in the least coming from Malfoy, however that didn’t stop me from growing increasingly irritated as each minute continues to pass by with no trace of him. I crossed my arms tightly against my chest and furrowed my brows as a sudden thought occurred to me. _Why am I still sitting here, after an entire hour, waiting for him to show up?_

He wasn’t going to show up. Why would he? Malfoy clearly wasn’t one to care about his schoolwork, nor sticking to arrangements- and I was positive that the strong loathing he felt towards me did not help the situation.

_That boy is like a toddler,_ I thought irritably.

Never doing what he was told and always throwing fits. 

It was true that I didn’t know him quite well- after all, he was practically a stranger to me, but if there was one thing I had learned through what limited observations I had made, it was that Malfoy did what Malfoy wanted. He wouldn’t think twice about screwing anyone over, _unless,_ that is, he had something in it for himself.

What was he to gain from meeting with me to do _schoolwork?_

Therefore, he wasn’t going to show up. His logic was as simple as that, I realized.

He was going to leave me to do all of it. After all, why would _Malfoy_ , the pampered little Slytherin prince, do his _own_ schoolwork, when had a studious little Ravenclaw to do it all for him?

_You are a complete and utter moron,_ I told myself.

_Here you are, waiting an entire hour by yourself in the library, believing that Malfoy would actually care enough to show up? Ridiculous._

_What an asshole._

The realization seemed obvious now, and though I felt like an absolute fool, I mostly found myself growing incredibly angry. I could not tolerate those who expected everyone else around them to do their biddings. It was people like Draco Malfoy who never had to work or be responsible for anything- who had everything handed to them on a silver platter all their life. Surely, Malfoy did not need to worry about something as petty as failing an assignment- no doubt his mummy and daddy would clean up any mess he made.

I, on the other hand, did not have the luxuries Malfoy had. I had to work my arse off in order to make something of myself. 

How the bloody hell that boy had mangaged to become the Slytherin prefect was entirely beyond me. With the especially poor behavior he seemed to be demonstrating this year, I wasn’t quite sure how well he would be handling his title.

“Stupid, stupid, little Slytherin twat,” I muttered, standing up and gathering my books. 

If he wasn’t going to show up, _fine!_ I’d leave. But I wouldn’t let him get away with this.

_I am going to walk straight up to him first thing tomorrow and rip that stupid smirk right off of his face,_ I thought sourly. 

“Immature, spoiled, cocky, annoying, disrespectful-“ my splurge of insults was abruptly cut off as I spun away from the table and meant to walk away- only to find myself bumping straight into something solid. 

I took a step back to regain my balance and looked up, my eyes widening as I saw what- or, rather, _who_ I had bumped into. 

“Watch your tongue, Paisley,“ Draco scowled, his pale eyes narrowing down at me in a harsh glare. 

I didn’t let myself cower under his firm gaze and instead stood up straight, my eyes taking him in. “You’re late,” I said stiffly. 

His lip curled, “Do you think I care?” 

“Excuse me?” I scoffed. “I waited here for you for a whole _hour,_ the least you could do is apologize!” I scowled horridly at him and watched with growing annoyance as he stared directly past me, looking incredibly bored. 

I suddenly took notice of how much taller than me he seemed.

Malfoy wasn’t that tall, was he?

Yet here I was, craning my neck in order to glare disapprovingly at him.

Perhaps I was just incredibly short.

“Nag, nag, nag. Is that all you do? Nag?” he sighed, and swiftly moved past me, his arm brushing mine as he did. He strode over to the table I was previously sitting at and began to remove his dark coat, revealing a white button up that nearly matched the color of his pale, pale skin. He didn’t bother to gaze back at me as he hung his coat over his chair and uttered his next words, “Pathetic, you Ravenclaws.” 

My jaw dropped and I stared at him in disbelief. “You truly _enjoy_ being an asshole, don’t you? Do you really believe you are _that_ entitled?” 

He ran a slender hand through his white hair and glanced over at me. Suddenly his seemingly permanent grimace was replaced by a faint, somewhat amused smirk. “Of course I am entitled. I am entitled to say and do whatever I like,” he spoke slowly, as if he were speaking to a five year old. “Are you forgetting who I am? I am a Malfoy. I come from an esteemed name. I do not need to answer to anyone- especially not of _your_ likes-“ he paused, his eyes briefly grazing over me, “Paisley, is it? Never heard of it. Shows what little power _you_ have.  So think again before you try to have some sort of sway over me.” 

Heat had risen to my cheeks, and I stood firmly gazing at him- feeling both flustered and offended. “Having power doesn’t mean using it to treat everyone else as if they are useless,” I snapped at him, “And powerful or not, you’re still an asshole.” 

“I never said I wasn’t,” he shrugged; that stupid, arrogant tone in his voice. 

I shook my head and put a hand against my temple as I took a deep breathe. “You are ridiculous. I shouldn’t even be here. I don’t have patience for you,” I muttered. 

“So you plan on what? Not completing the project? What a terrible Ravenclaw you are,” he said. His smirk faded away and was replaced by his usual scowl, “Stop being ridiculous. Go on- sit down and let’s get this over with. I don’t have all night. You’re lucky that I even decided to show up.” 

He was right.

It didn’t matter how badly I wanted to storm away and never speak to him again- the studious perfectionist inside of me was not going to walk away from an assignment. It had to be done, no matter how badly I currently despised him. 

I let out a long exhale and dragged myself over to sit at the table. 

He dropped into the chair beside me, lounging carelessly back in his seat. 

I avoided eye contact with him, instead opening up one of my books and beginning to read through a list of Charms spells. A few minutes of awkward silence passed as I continued to read, and eventually noticed that Malfoy continued to do absolutely nothing. 

I shot my head towards him, “For Merlin’s sake, Malfoy. Make yourself useful and open up a book.”  

At this, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned further back into his chair, looking annoyingly comfortable. “I have a better proposition to make,” he said. “Let’s make a deal, shall we?” 

I narrowed my eyes,  “I’m not interested in any of your deals.” 

“What is that you want, Paisley? How many galleons are you in need of? Go on- name the price.”

“What are you on about?” I scowled, staring at him in disbelief. 

“It’s quite simple. You agree to do all of my schoolwork for me from this point on, and I will pay you in return,” he stated simply, pale eyes glinting mischievously. 

“Absolutely _not,”_ I snapped. 

“Why not? It couldn’t be too much trouble for a brain like you,” he said. “Not to mention, you look like you need the money.”

“What is _that_ supposed to mean?” I gasped, my cheeks growing hot.

“You would be an idiot to deny me,” he replied smoothly, “Malfoys always pay their debts.” 

I turned sharply in my seat to face him, “You think you can just pay everybody off to do whatever it is you don’t like, don’t you? Well guess what, Malfoy? I’m not going to be one of those people. I don’t want your money. You’re going to do your own damn schoolwork, and you’re going to help me with this project.”

His mouth curved into a deep scowl, his pale eyes hardening. “You are a fool.” 

I rolled my eyes and turned back to my book, “Do you ever stop whining? Get to work,” I waved my hand at him in dismissal and began flipping through pages. 

Malfoy picked up a book and began aimlessly flipping through it, a bored expression painting his face. It was quite obvious that he was not actually attempting to process any of the words on the pages. 

“You know,” he started, fingers carelessly flipping through pages, “I think you still owe me.”

I look up from my book in frustration, “Are you ever going to _shut up_ and read?” I sighed in exasperation, “and owe you for _what?”_  

His gaze flickered over to me and he smirked slightly, “Oh, you know for what.” 

I stiffened, instantly knowing what he was referring to.

_The party._

All at once images of what had occurred that night revisited my mind, and I quickly tried to block them out.

I was really, really hoping that this conversation would never come up.

That night was already humiliating enough- it was easier to interact with Malfoy as if the party had never even happened. Up until this point, I had done a pretty good job at forcing myself to forget how much I had mortified myself in front of him.

Yet, of course, he had to bring it up.

Somehow this seemed incredibly predictable of him. 

My cheeks were on fire, and it was clear he could see just how uncomfortable I was as I squirmed awkwardly in my chair.

“Well?” he raised a brow expectantly and leaned back in his chair, his smirk never fading.

“We will not speak of that night,” I stated firmly. 

“I think we should,” he said, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “I believe you at least owe me an apology. After all, you completely ruined my night. And my bedroom floor. Thank-you for that disgusting gift, by the way.” 

“It wasn’t my fault!” I snapped at him, feeling flustered. “Your _idiot_ friend, Blaise, decided to bring one of the strongest alcohols known to the Wizarding World to the party and didn’t even bother to _warn_ anyone of what it was. I was _hallucinating-_ that stuff was practically poision!” 

“Still, couldn’t you have walked into a bathroom instead?”

“What part of _I was completely beyond wasted_ do you not comprehend?” 

“A warning at least would have been nice.” 

“You know, I didn’t exactly _enjoy_ what I walked in on.” 

At that, he froze every so slightly, then let out a cold, short laugh. “I’m sorry that your amateur, virgin eyes couldn’t handle it,” he drawled.

_“What_ did you just say?” I gasped, slamming my book shut and turning to him with eyes full of rage. 

He looked away and chuckled darkly to himself. 

“First of all,” I snapped, “You have _absolutely no right_ to say such a thing to me, you thoughtless pig. And _secondly-“_ I paused, feeling flustered, “You- you don’t know anything about me!”

“Please,” he replied smoothly, his pale eyes flickering over to me, “I can _always_ tell.” 

My cheeks were on fire.

Mostly because- _damn it_ he was bloody right.

It was true- I had little to no experience with boys. Sure, I had been kissed a couple times when I was younger, but that was about it.

Was it really that obvious though? 

“It’s none of your business,” I muttered.

“I suppose not,” he said, still smirking. 

I suddenly felt incredibly uncomfortable under his gaze and I sharply turned away, glaring at my books, “We’re wasting time bickering. We still haven’t selected our three charms for the project and it’s nearly eight o’ clock. 

“We have a whole bloody week. No need to get your knickers in a twist,” he muttered, looking away irritably.

I rolled my eyes at him. “You know what- fine,” I said shortly. I abruptly stood up from my seat and started stacking my books.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he cocked a brow.

“I believe there’s only so much of you I can tolerate,” I said, picking up my books. “We’re done for the night. You’re free to go on and harass some other poor soul- or whatever it is you do with your spare time. Can’t imagine there would be much. 

For a split second, he seemed to stiffen and a dark look crossed over his face.

I gave him a curious glance, but he was unresponsive. His pale, defined features had frozen into a grimace, his grey eyes only briefly meeting mine before he turned his head and stared blankly off into the distance.

It was clear something had crossed his mind that he did not like.

Was it something I had said?

I didn’t say anything bad, did I?

I gazed awkwardly at the library door, then back at his still stiff, unmoving body. Just like that- he’d switched from a cocky, arrogant boy, to something cold and broken. 

“Okay….” I trailed off, “Well… I’m just going to… go.” I very slowly started to walk backwards, still waiting for him to reply. But he didn’t. He ignored me and continued to stare gloomily off into the distance- as if my presence was no longer of any importance to him. “Right…” I said slowly, “We’ll meet here again, same time tomorrow- alright? Don’t be late, Malfoy.”

“Just leave, Paisley,” he muttered, his voice a dark, hollow sound.

“Right. Yep. Leaving,” I mumbled.

Feeling eager to leave, this wasn’t hard to do. I bit my lip and spun around, quickly leaving the library.

Something about the way Malfoy’s mood had so drastically darkened- for what seemed to be no apparent reason- left me feeling unsettled. 

_What a strange, strange boy._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Hoped you liked it! Let us know what you think! Next chapter will be up soon :)   
> Xoxo, Anna & Lola


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